CPOA Patient Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient reports sudden loss of vision in one eye after a blunt injury. What is the most appropriate initial action?
- Complete the routine exam as scheduled
- Notify the supervising optometrist immediately (Correct answer)
- Apply an eye patch and reschedule
- Irrigate the eye with saline
Correct answer: Notify the supervising optometrist immediately
Sudden vision loss following trauma is a medical emergency requiring immediate evaluation by the supervising optometrist.
Question 2: When preparing a patient for corneal topography, which instruction is most important?
- Ask the patient to blink rapidly throughout
- Request the patient remove contact lenses at least 2 weeks prior for rigid lenses (Correct answer)
- Have the patient wear their glasses during the scan
- Dim all room lights to prevent pupil constriction
Correct answer: Request the patient remove contact lenses at least 2 weeks prior for rigid lenses
Rigid contact lenses distort corneal shape and should be removed for an extended period before corneal topography to ensure accurate results.
Question 3: A pediatric patient is uncooperative during visual acuity testing. Which alternative method is most appropriate for a 3-year-old?
- Standard Snellen chart at 20 feet
- Tumbling E or HOTV chart (Correct answer)
- Pinhole occluder test
- Confrontation visual field test
Correct answer: Tumbling E or HOTV chart
The Tumbling E or HOTV chart uses symbols or matching cards that young children can identify without needing to know letters.
Question 4: Which vital sign is most relevant to document for a patient presenting with hypertensive retinopathy?
- Respiratory rate
- Blood pressure (Correct answer)
- Body temperature
- Pulse oximetry
Correct answer: Blood pressure
Blood pressure is directly related to hypertensive retinopathy and its documentation guides the optometrist's clinical decisions.
Question 5: A patient's pupillary response shows a positive relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD). Which structure is most likely affected?
- Cornea
- Lens
- Optic nerve (Correct answer)
- Conjunctiva
Correct answer: Optic nerve
A positive RAPD indicates asymmetric damage to the afferent visual pathway, most commonly the optic nerve.
Question 6: When instructing a patient on the proper insertion of soft contact lenses, which step should be emphasized first?
- Center the lens on the cornea immediately
- Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling lenses (Correct answer)
- Apply rewetting drops to the lens surface
- Check lens orientation under bright light
Correct answer: Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling lenses
Hand hygiene is the critical first step to prevent microbial contamination and eye infections during contact lens handling.
Question 7: A patient undergoing slit-lamp examination needs their chin repositioned. What is the correct chin rest adjustment direction to raise the patient's eye to the light beam?
- Lower the chin rest
- Raise the chin rest (Correct answer)
- Move the joystick forward
- Tilt the lamp arm upward
Correct answer: Raise the chin rest
Raising the chin rest elevates the patient's face so their eye aligns with the slit-lamp beam.
CPOA Patient Care 2
A patient reports sudden loss of vision in one eye after a blunt injury.
What is the most appropriate initial action?