CPCT Medical Terminology and Documentation

Question 1

What does the medical abbreviation 'NPO' mean?

Accepted Answer

Nothing by mouth

Answer

NPO (nil per os, Latin) means 'nothing by mouth' and indicates the patient must not eat or drink anything.

Question 2

The prefix 'brady-' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Slow

Answer

'Brady-' is a Greek prefix meaning slow, as in bradycardia (slow heart rate) or bradypnea (slow breathing).

Question 3

Which abbreviation indicates a medication should be given four times per day?

Accepted Answer

QID

Answer

QID (quater in die) means four times a day; BID = twice, TID = three times, QD = once daily.

Question 4

The suffix '-ectomy' means:

Accepted Answer

Surgical removal

Answer

'-ectomy' means surgical removal, as in appendectomy (removal of the appendix) or tonsillectomy.

Question 5

Documentation in a patient's medical record should be:

Accepted Answer

Timely, accurate, objective, and legible

Answer

Medical record entries must be timely, accurate, objective (fact-based), and legible to provide a reliable legal and clinical record.

CPCT - Certified Patient Care Technicians Practice Test