Medical Law & Ethics
What does the term 'liable' mean?
A. without legal force or effect.
B. a moral code.
C. accountable under law.
D. false, defamatory writing.
E. a crime that is less serious than a felony and consequently carries a lesser penalty.
The medical term meaning transmission of ECG signals via radio waves is
A. telepathy.
B. telemetry.
C. telediagnosis.
D. telocentric.
E. telecardio.
What percentage of the body is involved in a burn that covers one arm and the head of an adult?
A. 1%
B. 9%
C. 18%
D. 36%
E. 40%
Which of the following microorganisms is a grapelike cluster?
A. streptococci
B. spirochete
C. Neisseria gonorrhoeae
D. Vibrio cholerae
E. staphylococci
According to Kübler-Ross's stages of grief, what is the initial emotional response you would expect to hear from a patient who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness?
A. a rationalization
B. a statement of denial
C. a positive attitude
D. a sublimation
The power and authority given to a court to hear a case and to make a judgment is called:
A. jurisdiction.
B. judiciary.
C. judging.
D. judicial.
E. litigation.
On an ECG tracing, an indication of the absence of electrical charge or activity represents
A. sinoatrial node.
B. QRS complex.
C. baseline.
D. repolarization.
E. none of these
The Good Samaritan law explicitly allows medical assistants
A. to administer first aid within the scope of their competence.
B. to call the EMS system and stay with the victim until EMS personnel arrive.
C. to act freely in an emergency situation to save the victim’s life.
D. to diagnose the patient at the scene of an accident or emergency. E. only to call the EMS system and wait for authorized personnel but not to touch or communicate with an accident victim.
The smallest organisms are called:
A. viruses.
B. chlamydia.
C. rickettsia.
D. acidophiles.
E. bacteria.
A month after receiving a terminal diagnosis, a patient returns to the office, snaps angrily at the receptionist, and is argumentative and annoyed when offered assistance. According to Kübler-Ross's stages of grief, what is happening?
A. The patient is grumpy because the staff is annoying.
B. The patient is annoyed because they had to wait.
C. The patient is realizing that they are dying and is angry.
D. The patient has reached an acceptance of death and feels an inner peace with their fate.
Professional negligence is also called:
A. malpractice.
B. malfunction.
C. misdemeanor.
D. liability.
E. libel.
A beat arising from a focus outside the SA node of the heart is known as
A. ectopic beat.
B. escape beat.
C. uncontrolled beat.
D. fusion beat.
E. bigeminy.
To treat frostbite, a medical assistant can
A. massage the affected area gently.
B. rub the affected area with a warmed towel.
C. keep the patient’s head and shoulders slightly elevated.
D. wash the area with soap and water.
E. place warm clothing and blankets around the affected area.
Which of the following is NOT true of the Gram stain procedure?
A. It works for all bacteria.
B. The stain used is crystal violet.
C. It differentiates between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
D. Some bacteria lose the stain by decolorization.
E. An iodine solution is used.
In the context of the stages of grief, which stage typically follows the initial state of shock and denial?
A. Acceptance
B. Bargaining
C. Anger
D. Depression
Which of the following terms describes a crime that is less serious than a felony and carries a lesser penalty?
A. tort
B. misdemeanor
C. felony
D. infraction
E. subpoena
The U wave represents
A. repolarization of the Purkinje fibers.
B. depolarization of an atrium.
C. baseline.
D. ectopic beat.
E. contraction of the atria.
When Bill Williams scraped his skin, he most likely got a(n)
A. incision.
B. laceration.
C. abrasion.
D. puncture.
E. bruise.
Which of the following diseases is carried by ticks?
A. rabies
B. malaria
C. encephalitis
D. plague
E. Rocky Mountain spotted fever
When a patient attempts to negotiate or make deals—often with a higher power—to postpone the inevitable outcome of a terminal diagnosis, which stage of grief are they demonstrating?
A. Denial
B. Bargaining
C. Acceptance
D. Anger
False and defamatory written statements are known as:
A. slander.
B. libel.
C. breach.
D. fraud.
E. tort.
Which type of lead is lead III?
A. bipolar lead
B. unipolar (augmented) lead
C. precordial lead
D. intercostal lead
E. none of these
Irreversible brain injury can be caused by tissue anoxia lasting more than
A. two minutes.
B. three minutes.
C. four to six minutes.
D. 45 minutes.
E. three hours.
Bacillary dysentery is also called:
A. shigellosis.
B. typhoid fever.
C. Entamoeba histolytica.
D. salmonellosis.
E. cholera.
Reaching a stage where a patient finally comes to terms with mortality, often appearing quiet, withdrawn, or resolved, corresponds to which of Kübler-Ross's stages?
A. Acceptance
B. Anger
C. Bargaining
D. Denial