NAECB Patient Assessment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During foot assessment in a patient with peripheral neuropathy, the 10-gram monofilament test is used to evaluate:
- Vascular perfusion to the lower extremities
- Protective sensation in the feet (Correct answer)
- Proprioception and balance
- Deep tendon reflexes
Correct answer: Protective sensation in the feet
The 10-gram Semmes-Weinstein monofilament tests for loss of protective sensation, identifying patients at high risk for diabetic foot ulcers.
Question 2: A patient with type 2 diabetes has an eAG of 154 mg/dL. What is their approximate HbA1c?
- 6.5%
- 7.0% (Correct answer)
- 7.5%
- 8.0%
Correct answer: 7.0%
An eAG of 154 mg/dL corresponds to an HbA1c of approximately 7.0%, based on the established conversion formula.
Question 3: Which psychosocial factor is MOST important to assess when a patient is consistently not achieving blood glucose targets despite appearing knowledgeable?
- Health literacy
- Financial barriers to medication or food
- Social support network
- Diabetes distress or burnout (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Diabetes distress or burnout
Diabetes distress and burnout are among the most common psychosocial barriers to self-management and should be assessed when knowledge is not the limiting factor.
Question 4: A CDCES is assessing a patient's injection technique. Which finding MOST directly contributes to erratic glucose control?
- Using a 4mm pen needle
- Injecting into lipohypertrophic tissue (Correct answer)
- Rotating injection sites within the abdomen
- Pinching skin before injection
Correct answer: Injecting into lipohypertrophic tissue
Injecting into lipohypertrophic (scar) tissue causes unpredictable insulin absorption, leading to erratic blood glucose levels.
Question 5: When assessing carbohydrate intake in a patient using insulin-to-carbohydrate ratios, which method provides the MOST accurate data?
- 24-hour dietary recall
- 3-day food diary (Correct answer)
- Food frequency questionnaire
- Block 2014 screener
Correct answer: 3-day food diary
A 3-day food diary, including one weekend day, captures day-to-day variation in carbohydrate intake more accurately than a single recall.
Question 6: A patient's ABI (ankle-brachial index) reading is 0.7. This finding indicates:
- Normal arterial circulation
- Mild peripheral arterial disease
- Moderate peripheral arterial disease (Correct answer)
- Severe arterial calcification
Correct answer: Moderate peripheral arterial disease
An ABI of 0.7 falls in the moderate PAD range (0.5–0.79), indicating significant arterial obstruction requiring further vascular evaluation.
Question 7: Which question BEST assesses a patient's self-efficacy related to diabetes self-management?
- 'Do you know how to check your blood sugar?'
- 'How confident are you that you can manage your diabetes when you are stressed?' (Correct answer)
- 'Have you attended diabetes education before?'
- 'Do you have a glucometer at home?'
Correct answer: 'How confident are you that you can manage your diabetes when you are stressed?'
Self-efficacy is assessed by asking about confidence to perform behaviors under challenging conditions, not just knowledge or resource availability.
NAECB Patient Assessment 3
During foot assessment in a patient with peripheral neuropathy, the 10-gram monofilament test is used to evaluate: