MACE - Medication Aide Certification Examination Medical Terminology and Abbreviations Questions and Answers

Question 1

A medication order for a resident reads: "Administer one tablet QID." How should the Medication Aide interpret this frequency?

Accepted Answer

Four times a day

Answer

The abbreviation "QID" comes from the Latin phrase "quater in die," which translates to "four times a day." This is a standard medical abbreviation indicating the frequency of medication administration.

Question 2

A resident's care plan notes that they have dysphagia and require their pills to be administered with a thickening agent. This medical term indicates the resident has difficulty with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Swallowing

Answer

Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. This condition requires special care when administering oral medications to prevent choking and aspiration.

Question 3

A supervising nurse points out a handwritten medication order to a new Medication Aide and states that one of the abbreviations used should be avoided. Which of the following is on The Joint Commission's official "Do Not Use" list due to its high risk of being misinterpreted?

Accepted Answer

U (for unit)

Answer

The abbreviation "U" for unit is on The Joint Commission's "Do Not Use" list because it can be easily mistaken for a zero (0), the number four (4), or "cc" when handwritten, leading to significant dosing errors. The word "unit" should always be written out.

Question 4

A medication is described as being potentially "nephrotoxic." This means the medication could cause damage to which organ?

Accepted Answer

Kidneys

Answer

The term nephrotoxic means poisonous or toxic to the kidneys. The root word "nephro-" refers to the kidney. It is crucial for a Medication Aide to be aware of such potential effects to observe for signs of kidney dysfunction.

Question 5

A medication order for eye drops states: "Instill 1 gtt OD BID". How should the Medication Aide interpret these instructions?

Accepted Answer

Instill 1 drop into the right eye twice a day

Answer

Breaking down the abbreviations: "gtt" is Latin for 'guttae' meaning drop(s); "OD" is Latin for 'oculus dexter' meaning right eye; and "BID" is Latin for 'bis in die' meaning twice a day. Therefore, the instruction is to instill one drop into the right eye twice daily.

(MACE) Medication Aide Certification Examination Practice Test

(MACE) Medication Aide Certification Examination Practice Test

MACE - Medication Aide Certification Examination Medical Terminology and Abbreviations Questions and Answers