What do you do?
A patient who has congestive heart failure starts to experience pain during an exercise session monitored by a physical therapist assistant. What is the MOST immediate action for the assistant to take?
1.Notify the nursing staff to administer pain medication
2.Contact the referring physician
3.Discontinue the treatment session
4.Ask the patient to describe the location and severity of the pain
A physical therapist assistant administers the capillary refill test. What is the PTA looking for, and what would be an abnormal result?
The amount of time taken for color to return to the nail. A refill time of 3 seconds or more is considered abnormal and could indicate inadequate peripheral perfusion
A physical therapist assistant’s is working with a patient who has been fit with an elastic shrinker for the residual limb. How long should the patient be instructed to wear the shrinker?
24 hours a day, except when bathing
A patient is recovering from a full-thickness burn to the elbow. What is the common contracture from this type of burn?
Flexion and pronation
Which ribs form the costovertebral joints?
1–12
A patient exercising in an outpatient facility informs their physical therapist assistant that they are experiencing chest pain. After resting for 20 minutes the patient’s condition is unchanged. However, the patient insists on continuing with the session. What is the MOST appropriate action for the assistant to take?
Discontinue the treatment session and call an ambulance
Exercise is not always possible for most people when the hemoglobin level is ___ g/dL or less.
8 g/dL
What are the common contractures for a transfemoral amputation?
Hip ABDuction
Hip flexion
Hip external rotation
A patient is recovering from a full-thickness burn to the shoulder, anterior chest, and axillary area. Range-of-motion activities should focus on which shoulder motions?
Flexion, abduction, and external rotation
During treatment in an outpatient gym, a patient becomes angry and violent and begins throwing things at the wall. What is the best way to de-escalate or handle the situation?
Maintain distance and remove any other patients in the area without turning their back to the patient. Call for help.
What type of exercise should be avoided when treating a patient with osteomalacia?
high-impact exercise
(Do not get high repetitions and high-intensity, high impact confused)
In addition to vitals, _____________ should be assessed prior to exercise for all patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
Body weight:
CHF can cause edema/swelling. > 2 lbs over 24-48 hours indicates systemic overload
A PTA observes the gait pattern for a patient with a transtibial amputation and prosthesis. The PTA observes excessive knee flexion in stance. What are possible amputee causes of this gait deviation?
Knee flexion contracture
Hip flexion contracture
Pain anteriorly in residual limb
Decrease in quadriceps strength
Poor balance
A patient is recovering from a full-thickness burn to the hip and groin. Which of the following describes the common contracture from this type of burn?
Flexion and adduction contracture of the hip
A RPE (10 scale) rating of 8 means that the patient is reporting that the exercise is ___________.
Vigorous Activity
A physical therapist assistant treats a patient in an acute care hospital setting. Upon review of the patient's medical chart, the assistant notices that the patient glucose level is 60mg/dL. What is the BEST action for the assistant to take next?
Do not initiate therapy until patient has been provided a carbohydrate snack, and blood glucose has increased.
Exercise and exercise-testing are contraindicated when a patient with Diabetes Mellitus Type I blood glucose level exceeds ___ mg/dL.
250-300 ( depending on source)
This type of therapy has shown to be effective with treating phantom limb pain, and has no side effects
Desensitization techniques
A patient sustained a superficial wound that appears as a moderate abrasion on the anterior surface of their thigh approximately four inches above the superior pole of the patella. Which type of wound dressing would MOST likely be utilized?
Transparent film
(Protect, but no absorption needed)
A patient being treated in an acute care hospital reports excessive thirst on multiple occasions during a treatment session. Which electrolyte imbalance would MOST likely be associated with this scenario?
1.Hypercalcemia
2.Hyperkalemia
3.Hypermagnesemia
4.Hypernatremia
4.Hypernatremia
A physical therapist assistant treats a patient three days post shoulder surgery. The patient reports general malaise, slight confusion and a slightly elevated body temperature during the last 24 hours. The assistant notes that the patient’s shoulder is edematous, warm to touch, and observes a small amount of yellow fluid seeping from the incision. What is the MOST appropriate action for the assistant to take?
Send the patient to the emergency room due to signs of infection/sepsis
A physical therapist assistant reviews the medical record of a patient who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The medical record indicates that the patient’s current condition is consistent with chronic respiratory acidosis. What test/lab value is looked at to confirm this?
Arterial Blood gases
pH < 7.35
A PTA observes the gait pattern for a patient with a transtibial amputation and prosthesis. The PTA observes excessive lateral bending towards the prosthesis. What are possible prosthetic causes of this gait deviation?
Prosthesis too short
Improperly shaped lateral wall
High medial wall
Prosthesis aligned in abduction
A physical therapist assistant prepares to complete a sensory assessment on a patient with a lower extremity burn. Which of the following findings would serve as the BEST predictor of altered sensation?
1.Presence of a skin graft
2.Depth of burn injury
3.Percentage of body surface affected
4.Extent of hypertrophic scarring
2.Depth of burn injury
A physician orders a nasogastric tube for a patient admitted to the hospital. Which of the following indications does NOT accurately describe a potential use of the nasogastric tube?
1.Administer medications directly into the GI tract
2.Obtain gastric specimens
3.Remove fluid or gas from the stomach
4.Obtain venous blood samples from the stomach
4.Obtain venous blood samples from the stomach