RMA Vital Signs and Patient Monitoring 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient's pulse feels irregular with skipped beats. What is the most accurate method to count the rate?
- Count radial pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4
- Count apical pulse for a full 60 seconds (Correct answer)
- Count radial pulse for 30 seconds and multiply by 2
- Use a pulse oximeter reading only
Correct answer: Count apical pulse for a full 60 seconds
An irregular pulse should be counted apically for a full minute to capture every beat accurately.
Question 2: Which artery is most commonly used to assess pulse in an unconscious adult during emergency evaluation?
- Radial artery
- Carotid artery (Correct answer)
- Dorsalis pedis artery
- Temporal artery
Correct answer: Carotid artery
The carotid artery is large, central, and palpable even when peripheral perfusion is poor.
Question 3: A patient is breathing 28 times per minute at rest. This finding is best documented as:
- Bradypnea
- Eupnea
- Tachypnea (Correct answer)
- Apnea
Correct answer: Tachypnea
Tachypnea is an abnormally rapid respiratory rate above the normal adult range of 12-20.
Question 4: When measuring respirations, why should the medical assistant avoid telling the patient?
- It violates patient privacy laws
- Patients may consciously alter their breathing pattern (Correct answer)
- It wastes clinical time
- The patient must hold their breath
Correct answer: Patients may consciously alter their breathing pattern
Awareness of being observed often causes patients to unconsciously change their breathing rate.
Question 5: Which of the following would falsely elevate an oral temperature reading?
- The patient drank ice water 5 minutes earlier
- The patient just finished a hot beverage (Correct answer)
- The patient was in a cold waiting room
- The thermometer was left out overnight
Correct answer: The patient just finished a hot beverage
A recent hot drink warms the oral cavity and produces an artificially high reading.
Question 6: A blood pressure cuff that is too small for a patient's arm will most likely cause the reading to be:
- Falsely low
- Falsely high (Correct answer)
- Unchanged
- Unreadable
Correct answer: Falsely high
An undersized cuff requires more pressure to occlude the artery, producing a falsely high result.
Question 7: Which vital sign is often referred to as the 'fifth vital sign' in patient assessment?
- Pain level (Correct answer)
- Pupil size
- Skin color
- Urine output
Correct answer: Pain level
Pain is widely assessed as the fifth vital sign alongside temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.
RMA Vital Signs and Patient Monitoring 2
A patient's pulse feels irregular with skipped beats.
What is the most accurate method to count the rate?