Patient History and Ophthalmic Examination Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real COT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient History and Ophthalmic Examination Techniques flashcards as text
When recording pupil reactions in a patient's chart, 'PERRL' means:
Answer: Pupils Equal, Round, Reactive to Light
PERRL stands for Pupils Equal, Round, and Reactive to Light, and is a standard notation confirming normal direct and consensual pupillary light responses.
A patient taking tamsulosin (Flomax) for benign prostatic hyperplasia is scheduled for cataract surgery. The technician should flag this history because of the risk of:
Answer: Intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS)
Alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists like tamsulosin cause intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, where the iris billows and prolapses, significantly complicating cataract surgery.
The Amsler grid is primarily used to detect defects in which area of the visual field?
Answer: Central 20 degrees of vision, particularly the macula
The Amsler grid tests the central 20 degrees of vision and is most sensitive for detecting metamorphopsia and scotomas caused by macular disease.
During cover-uncover testing, the examiner observes that the uncovered eye moves to pick up fixation when the other eye is covered. This finding indicates:
Answer: A tropia (manifest strabismus)
Movement of the uncovered eye during the cover-uncover test indicates that it was not fixing on the target, confirming a manifest deviation (tropia).
A patient presents with a red eye and purulent discharge since waking. The most important historical question to help differentiate bacterial from viral conjunctivitis is:
Answer: Is there a recent history of upper respiratory infection or exposure to a person with similar symptoms?
Viral conjunctivitis is often associated with a preceding upper respiratory infection or sick contact, while bacterial conjunctivitis typically presents with mucopurulent discharge without these associations.
When using a non-contact tonometer (NCT or air-puff tonometer), the technician should obtain at least how many readings per eye to report a reliable average?
Answer: 3 readings
Standard practice is to obtain a minimum of three readings per eye with the NCT and average them, as single readings have greater variability.
A patient with a history of herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis reports a recurrence of eye pain and photophobia. The technician should specifically note in the history whether the patient is currently taking:
Answer: Oral acyclovir or valacyclovir (antiviral prophylaxis)
Oral antiviral prophylaxis with acyclovir or valacyclovir significantly reduces HSV ocular recurrences, and current use or non-compliance is critical history for managing an acute episode.