Free Physical Therapist Assistant Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is 7 weeks in to rehabilitation following a right medial meniscectomy. The patient reports feeling excellent overall but continues to suffer weakness and difficulties going down slopes or down stairs. The most appropriate activity to address this deficit is:
- Hamstring curls
- Standing hip abduction
- Eccentric quadricep step downs (Correct answer)
- Terminal knee extension with theraband
Correct answer: Eccentric quadricep step downs
Controlling descent needs the quadriceps to operate eccentrically. Therefore, eccentric steps-downs are the best exercise to tackle this shortfall.
Question 2: Glenohumeral mobilization is being performed by a therapist to enhance internal rotation. The ideal configuration for using this manual technique is:
- Patient in prone, arm at side, anterior glide
- Patient in supine, arm at 45 degrees abduction, posterior glide (Correct answer)
- Patient in sidelying, arm at 45 degrees abduction, inferior glide.
- Patient in supine, arm at 90 degrees of abduction, posterior glide
Correct answer: Patient in supine, arm at 45 degrees abduction, posterior glide
A patient lying on their back with their arm abducted at a 45-degree angle is in the open pack position of the glenohumeral joint. There is a posterior glide used to enhance internal rotation.
Question 3: It's critical that treatment for an 8-year-old with a newly diagnosed case of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy concentrate on:
- Light strengthening exercises careful to not reach point of fatigue (Correct answer)
- Cardiovascular endurance exercises to preserve pulmonary function
- Plyometric and balance activities
- Gentle passive range of motion to prevent contracture and preserve joint mobility
Correct answer: Light strengthening exercises careful to not reach point of fatigue
DMD is a neuromuscular condition that causes muscle atrophy. While working to maintain strength for as long as you can, it's crucial to avoid overworking the muscles.
Question 4: An injury to the: is likely present in a patient who is unable to imitate facial expressions and has diminished taste in the anterior two thirds of the tongue.
- Cranial Nerve VIII
- Cranial Nerve VII (Correct answer)
- Cranial Nerve VI
- Cranial Nerve V
Correct answer: Cranial Nerve VII
The facial expression and diminished taste on the tongue's anterior two thirds are controlled by the motor and sensory functions of cranial nerve VII. Deficits in these regions would occur from a damage to it.
Question 5: Immediately following exercise, these modifications are typically seen:
- Increased systolic and slightly decreased diastolic blood pressures (Correct answer)
- Decreased systolic and slightly increased diastolic blood pressures
- Rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressures
- Decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressures
Correct answer: Increased systolic and slightly decreased diastolic blood pressures
Due to the vasodilation of arteries during activity, it is common to observe an increase in systolic blood pressure and a little fall in systolic blood pressure after exercise.
Question 6: The O2 saturation of a patient who is receiving acute care for a COPD exacerbation falls to 82% while the patient is being moved around. The PTA's best plan of action is to:
- Have the patient lie down immediately.
- Try to get the patient to finish the walk as they need to build endurance
- Turn the patient's supplemental oxygen up 0.5L to allow them to finish the walk.
- Stop ambulation and rest, coaching the patient through purse lip breathing. Then notify the nurse. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Stop ambulation and rest, coaching the patient through purse lip breathing. Then notify the nurse.
It is not recommended to continue exercising at an oxygen saturation level of 82%. Coaching through pursed lip breathing while pausing to rest should raise levels to a safe level. It is crucial to let the nurse know about this severe desaturation.
Question 7: The therapist goes over typical locations for pressure ulcers while teaching the patient's family about their loved one's spinal cord damage. Which locations should the therapist mention as some of the most vulnerable to pressure sores?
- Sacrum, coccyx, elbows, and toes
- Sacrum, hips, back of cranium, and heels (Correct answer)
- sacrum, coccyx, thighs, plantar aspect of feet
- Sacrum, elbows, heels, and forearms
Correct answer: Sacrum, hips, back of cranium, and heels
Bony prominences such as the sacrum, coccyx, hips, heels, scapula, malleoli, elbows, ears, and the back of the skull are among the most prevalent sites for pressure ulcers.
Free Physical Therapist Assistant Questions and Answers
A patient is 7 weeks in to rehabilitation following a right medial meniscectomy.
The patient reports feeling excellent overall but continues to suffer weakness and difficulties going down slopes or down stairs.
The most appropriate activity to address this deficit is: