CMT Patient Care & Safety 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When transferring a patient from a wheelchair to an exam table, the medical technician should:
- Stand behind the patient and lift from the waist
- Lock the wheelchair, position it at 45°, and use proper body mechanics (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient to jump across to the table
- Have the patient stand and pivot without assistance
Correct answer: Lock the wheelchair, position it at 45°, and use proper body mechanics
Locking the wheelchair and positioning it at a 45-degree angle with proper body mechanics prevents injury to both patient and technician.
Question 2: A patient receiving an IV infusion develops redness, swelling, and coolness at the insertion site. This most likely indicates:
- Phlebitis
- Infiltration (extravasation) (Correct answer)
- Thrombosis
- Air embolism
Correct answer: Infiltration (extravasation)
Infiltration occurs when IV fluid leaks into surrounding tissue, causing swelling and coolness at the site.
Question 3: Which of the following is the correct order of the venipuncture tube draw?
- SST, EDTA (purple), sodium citrate (blue), heparin (green)
- Sodium citrate (blue), SST, heparin (green), EDTA (purple) (Correct answer)
- EDTA (purple), SST, sodium citrate (blue), heparin (green)
- Heparin (green), EDTA (purple), SST, sodium citrate (blue)
Correct answer: Sodium citrate (blue), SST, heparin (green), EDTA (purple)
The correct order of draw is: blood cultures, sodium citrate, SST, heparin, EDTA to prevent additive cross-contamination.
Question 4: A confused elderly patient is attempting to climb out of bed. The safest immediate intervention is to:
- Apply a physical restraint immediately
- Stay with the patient, use calm verbal redirection, and call for help (Correct answer)
- Leave briefly to get restraints from the supply room
- Raise all four side rails and walk away
Correct answer: Stay with the patient, use calm verbal redirection, and call for help
Staying with the patient and using calm redirection while calling for help is the safest intervention before any restrictive measures.
Question 5: The purpose of a Material Safety Data Sheet (SDS/MSDS) is to:
- Document patient allergies to laboratory chemicals
- Provide hazard, handling, and emergency information for chemical substances (Correct answer)
- List the expiration dates of reagents used in testing
- Record occupational exposure incidents in the workplace
Correct answer: Provide hazard, handling, and emergency information for chemical substances
An SDS provides information on chemical hazards, safe handling, storage, and emergency response procedures.
Question 6: Which type of fire extinguisher is appropriate for an electrical fire in a medical laboratory?
- Class A (water)
- Class B (foam)
- Class C (CO2 or dry chemical) (Correct answer)
- Class D (dry powder)
Correct answer: Class C (CO2 or dry chemical)
Class C extinguishers use non-conductive agents like CO2 or dry chemical and are required for electrical fires.
Question 7: Before performing any procedure, informed consent requires the patient to understand:
- The cost of the procedure only
- The nature, risks, benefits, and alternatives to the procedure (Correct answer)
- Only the benefits of the procedure
- The technician's credentials and experience
Correct answer: The nature, risks, benefits, and alternatives to the procedure
Informed consent requires that the patient understands the procedure, its risks, benefits, and available alternatives before agreeing.
CMT Patient Care & Safety 3
When transferring a patient from a wheelchair to an exam table, the medical technician should: