NPTE-PT Safety and Professional Responsibilities 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PT is treating a patient who has signs consistent with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). What is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Apply compression and elevate the limb, then continue treatment
- Stop treatment, notify the referring physician immediately, and document findings (Correct answer)
- Apply heat to the area to improve circulation and monitor symptoms
- Continue gentle range of motion exercises and reassess next session
Correct answer: Stop treatment, notify the referring physician immediately, and document findings
Suspected DVT requires immediate cessation of treatment and urgent physician notification due to risk of pulmonary embolism.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of patient abandonment?
- Referring a patient to a specialist more qualified to address their needs
- Discharging a patient without notice or appropriate follow-up when they still require care (Correct answer)
- Ending treatment after a patient achieves their discharge goals
- Transferring care to another PT with proper documentation and handoff
Correct answer: Discharging a patient without notice or appropriate follow-up when they still require care
Abruptly ending care without notice, referral, or alternative arrangements when the patient still requires treatment constitutes abandonment.
Question 3: A PT working in an outpatient clinic notices a fire in the supply room. What is the correct initial action according to the RACE protocol?
- Alert the fire department, then evacuate patients
- Rescue patients in immediate danger, then activate the alarm (Correct answer)
- Activate the alarm first, then rescue patients in immediate danger
- Confine the fire by closing doors, then evacuate the building
Correct answer: Rescue patients in immediate danger, then activate the alarm
The RACE protocol begins with Rescue (remove patients from immediate danger), followed by Alarm, Confine, and Extinguish.
Question 4: A PT applies a hot pack and the patient reports increasing pain and skin redness within minutes. What is the priority action?
- Reassure the patient that initial discomfort is normal and continue
- Remove the hot pack immediately, assess the skin, and document the adverse response (Correct answer)
- Reduce the number of towel layers and continue treatment
- Apply cold water over the hot pack area and continue
Correct answer: Remove the hot pack immediately, assess the skin, and document the adverse response
Increasing pain and redness indicate a potential burn; the hot pack must be removed immediately and the skin assessed.
Question 5: A patient with an infectious disease is scheduled for PT. Which type of precaution is most appropriate when contact with body fluids is expected?
- Standard Precautions alone are always sufficient
- Contact Precautions in addition to Standard Precautions (Correct answer)
- Airborne Precautions in addition to Standard Precautions
- No additional precautions are needed if the PT is vaccinated
Correct answer: Contact Precautions in addition to Standard Precautions
Contact Precautions (gown and gloves) are used in addition to Standard Precautions when contact with infectious material or body fluids is anticipated.
Question 6: Which situation best describes a conflict of interest that a PT must disclose or avoid?
- Treating a patient referred by a physician the PT has never met
- Referring patients to a diagnostic imaging center in which the PT has a financial interest (Correct answer)
- Using equipment purchased through a standard hospital procurement process
- Accepting a published textbook as a continuing education resource
Correct answer: Referring patients to a diagnostic imaging center in which the PT has a financial interest
Referring patients to services in which the PT has a financial interest is a conflict of interest that must be disclosed or avoided under the APTA Code of Ethics.
Question 7: A student PT intern asks to observe a patient's treatment session. What must the PT obtain before allowing the student to observe?
- Verbal consent from the student's academic program
- Written consent from the supervising physician
- The patient's informed consent to allow the student's presence (Correct answer)
- Approval from the facility administrator
Correct answer: The patient's informed consent to allow the student's presence
Patients must give informed consent before any additional observers, including students, are permitted in the treatment area.
NPTE-PT Safety and Professional Responsibilities 5
A PT is treating a patient who has signs consistent with deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
What is the most appropriate immediate action?