Patient Care & Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real CMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Care & Safety flashcards as text
A patient with a latex allergy is scheduled for a procedure. Which action is the FIRST priority?
Answer: Alert the entire care team and use a latex-free environment
A latex allergy requires alerting all team members and ensuring a completely latex-free environment to prevent anaphylaxis.
When performing a blood draw on a patient, you notice the tourniquet has been in place for over 2 minutes. What should you do?
Answer: Release the tourniquet and wait 2 minutes before reapplying
Tourniquets left on longer than 1-2 minutes cause hemoconcentration and must be released before reapplication to ensure accurate results.
A patient states they are feeling dizzy and may faint during a blood draw. The BEST immediate response is to:
Answer: Recline the patient and discontinue the draw if necessary
Reclining the patient prevents injury from fainting (syncope) and discontinuing the draw prioritizes patient safety.
Which isolation precaution is required for a patient diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis?
Answer: Airborne precautions with a negative-pressure room
Active TB is transmitted via airborne particles requiring a negative-pressure isolation room and N95 respirator use.
A patient's ID band is missing before a specimen collection. You should:
Answer: Use two other identifiers (name + DOB) per facility policy and re-band before collection
Two patient identifiers must be confirmed per facility protocol; re-banding the patient before collection ensures proper identification.
Which needle gauge is MOST appropriate for a routine venipuncture on an adult patient with normal veins?
Answer: 21-gauge
A 21-gauge needle is standard for routine adult venipuncture, balancing flow rate and patient comfort.
After an accidental needlestick, the FIRST action a medical technician should take is:
Answer: Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 10 minutes
Immediate and thorough washing with soap and water is the first action to reduce infection risk after a needlestick.