SCMA Specialty Certified Medical Assistant 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A specialty MA working in oncology is preparing chemotherapy for administration. Which personal protective equipment is required when handling chemotherapy agents?
- Standard gloves only
- Gown, double chemotherapy gloves, and face shield (Correct answer)
- N95 mask and standard gloves
- Standard gown and single gloves
Correct answer: Gown, double chemotherapy gloves, and face shield
Hazardous drug handling requires double chemotherapy-rated gloves, a closed-front gown, and eye/face protection per USP 800 guidelines.
Question 2: In a gastroenterology practice, a patient is positive for H. pylori via urea breath test. Standard first-line treatment typically includes:
- A proton pump inhibitor alone
- Triple therapy: PPI + clarithromycin + amoxicillin (Correct answer)
- H2 blocker + metronidazole
- Antacids plus bismuth subsalicylate
Correct answer: Triple therapy: PPI + clarithromycin + amoxicillin
First-line H. pylori eradication is typically clarithromycin-based triple therapy: a PPI plus clarithromycin and amoxicillin for 14 days.
Question 3: A specialty MA in a dermatology office is assisting with a punch biopsy. After the procedure, the specimen should be placed in:
- Normal saline
- 10% formalin fixative (Correct answer)
- Sterile water
- Heparin-coated tube
Correct answer: 10% formalin fixative
Skin biopsy specimens are preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histopathological examination.
Question 4: During a neurology visit, the specialty MA assists with a lumbar puncture. The patient is positioned in the lateral decubitus position. Why is this position used?
- It allows gravity to increase CSF flow
- It widens the interspinous spaces to ease needle insertion (Correct answer)
- It prevents vasovagal response
- It reduces risk of post-procedure headache
Correct answer: It widens the interspinous spaces to ease needle insertion
Curling into the lateral decubitus (fetal) position flexes the spine and widens interspinous spaces, facilitating lumbar puncture needle placement.
Question 5: A patient in the endocrinology clinic has a fasting blood glucose of 118 mg/dL on two separate occasions. This result is classified as:
- Normal
- Prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose) (Correct answer)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes
Correct answer: Prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose)
A fasting glucose of 100–125 mg/dL on two occasions is classified as impaired fasting glucose (prediabetes) per ADA criteria.
Question 6: A specialty MA in a urology office prepares a patient for urodynamic testing. Which finding during this test indicates detrusor overactivity?
- High post-void residual urine volume
- Involuntary detrusor contractions during filling phase (Correct answer)
- Low maximum cystometric capacity
- Absent urethral sphincter activity
Correct answer: Involuntary detrusor contractions during filling phase
Detrusor overactivity is defined by involuntary detrusor muscle contractions during the bladder filling phase on urodynamic study.
Question 7: When assisting in a gynecology office, the specialty MA prepares a liquid-based cervical cytology (ThinPrep) sample. After collecting the sample, the brush/spatula should be:
- Air-dried and mailed to the lab
- Rinsed in the liquid-based vial and discarded (Correct answer)
- Placed in formalin
- Smeared on a glass slide and fixed
Correct answer: Rinsed in the liquid-based vial and discarded
For ThinPrep liquid-based cytology, the collection device is rinsed or swirled in the vial of preservative solution, not spread on a slide.
SCMA Specialty Certified Medical Assistant 3
A specialty MA working in oncology is preparing chemotherapy for administration.
Which personal protective equipment is required when handling chemotherapy agents?