COT Patient History and Ophthalmic Examination Techniques

Question 1

When documenting a patient's chief complaint, which element is MOST important to record first?

Accepted Answer

Onset, location, duration, character, and associated symptoms

Answer

A thorough chief complaint includes onset, location, duration, character, associated symptoms, relieving/aggravating factors, and prior treatments (OLDCART framework).

Question 2

During confrontation visual field testing, the examiner's visual field serves as the:

Accepted Answer

Control for comparison with the patient's field

Answer

Confrontation testing compares the patient's peripheral visual field to the examiner's field, which serves as the normal reference standard.

Question 3

The cover-uncover test primarily detects which type of ocular deviation?

Accepted Answer

Tropia (manifest deviation)

Answer

The cover-uncover test detects tropias (manifest strabismus) by observing whether the uncovered eye moves to take up fixation when the fellow eye is covered.

Question 4

When measuring visual acuity with a Snellen chart at 20 feet, a patient reads the 20/40 line. This means the patient can read at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can read at:

Accepted Answer

40 feet

Answer

Snellen notation 20/40 means the patient reads at 20 feet what a normally-sighted person can read at 40 feet, indicating reduced visual acuity.

Question 5

Amsler grid testing is used primarily to detect defects in which area of the visual field?

Accepted Answer

Central 10–20 degrees

Answer

The Amsler grid tests the central 10–20 degrees of vision and is sensitive to metamorphopsia and scotomas associated with macular disease.

COT - Certified Ophthalmic Technician Practice Test

COT - Certified Ophthalmic Technician Practice Test

COT Patient History and Ophthalmic Examination Techniques