NPTE-PTA National Physical Therapist Assistant 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with a T6 complete spinal cord injury is performing wheelchair pushups for pressure relief. What is the MINIMUM recommended frequency for this activity?
- Every 15 minutes (Correct answer)
- Every 30 minutes
- Every 60 minutes
- Every 2 hours
Correct answer: Every 15 minutes
Patients with complete SCI at T6 should perform pressure relief every 15 minutes to prevent pressure injuries.
Question 2: A patient is referred for TENS following knee surgery. Which TENS parameter setting is MOST appropriate for acute postoperative pain control?
- Low frequency (2-4 Hz), high intensity
- High frequency (80-150 Hz), sensory intensity (Correct answer)
- Burst mode at 1 Hz
- High frequency (80-150 Hz), motor intensity
Correct answer: High frequency (80-150 Hz), sensory intensity
Conventional TENS uses high frequency (80-150 Hz) at sensory (non-painful) intensity and is the first choice for acute postoperative pain.
Question 3: When measuring the girth of the lower extremity for compression stocking fitting, the PTA should measure the calf at which location?
- 5 cm below the tibial tuberosity
- At the point of maximum circumference (Correct answer)
- At the midpoint between knee and ankle
- 2 cm above the medial malleolus
Correct answer: At the point of maximum circumference
Calf girth for compression stocking fitting is measured at the point of maximum circumference to ensure proper fit.
Question 4: A PTA is treating a patient using ultrasound over scar tissue on the dorsum of the hand. Which duty cycle should be used to maximize collagen extensibility without heating superficial tissue excessively?
- 100% continuous
- 50% pulsed (Correct answer)
- 20% pulsed
- 10% pulsed
Correct answer: 50% pulsed
A 50% pulsed duty cycle provides thermal effects sufficient to increase collagen extensibility while reducing the risk of superficial tissue overheating.
Question 5: During gait training, a patient with a right transtibial amputation demonstrates excessive lateral trunk bending to the right during stance. Which prosthetic cause is MOST likely?
- Prosthetic foot set in too much plantar flexion
- Prosthesis is too long
- Prosthetic socket is too loose
- Prosthesis is too short (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Prosthesis is too short
A prosthesis that is too short causes the patient to lean toward the prosthetic side (lateral trunk bending) during stance to compensate for leg length discrepancy.
Question 6: A patient with COPD is receiving pulmonary rehabilitation. The PTA should STOP exercise and notify the supervising PT if the patient's SpO2 drops below what threshold?
- 95%
- 92%
- 88% (Correct answer)
- 85%
Correct answer: 88%
Exercise should be stopped and the supervising PT notified if SpO2 drops below 88% in a COPD patient, indicating significant oxygen desaturation.
Question 7: Which proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) technique involves alternating contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles without relaxation?
- Contract-relax
- Hold-relax
- Rhythmic stabilization (Correct answer)
- Rhythmic initiation
Correct answer: Rhythmic stabilization
Rhythmic stabilization involves alternating isometric contractions of agonists and antagonists to improve joint stability and proprioception.
NPTE-PTA National Physical Therapist Assistant 2
A patient with a T6 complete spinal cord injury is performing wheelchair pushups for pressure relief.
What is the MINIMUM recommended frequency for this activity?