Mixed Deck — All NPTE-PT Topics Flashcards

A physical therapist discovers a billing error where services were coded at a higher level than what was actually provided. What should the therapist do?

Answer: Report the error to the billing department and request immediate correction

Upcoding is a form of fraud; the therapist has an ethical and legal obligation to report billing errors promptly and ensure they are corrected.

A PT is using interferential current (IFC) for pain modulation in a post-operative knee patient. The beat frequency most effective for endorphin release is:

Answer: 1–10 Hz

Low beat frequencies of 1–10 Hz stimulate endogenous opioid (endorphin) release for longer-lasting pain relief.

A patient who sustained a posterior hip dislocation is at greatest risk for injury to which nerve?

Answer: Sciatic nerve

The sciatic nerve courses posterior to the hip joint and is most vulnerable during posterior dislocations.

A patient with a T6 complete spinal cord injury is sitting upright and suddenly develops pounding headache, diaphoresis above the lesion, and hypertension. What is the priority action?

Answer: Sit the patient upright and identify the noxious stimulus

Autonomic dysreflexia requires sitting the patient upright (to lower BP via orthostasis) and immediately finding and removing the triggering noxious stimulus.

A PT is treating a patient with a fresh (48-hour-old) quadriceps contusion. Which physical agent is MOST appropriate at this stage?

Answer: Cryotherapy with compression

Cryotherapy with compression is the standard acute-phase treatment to reduce inflammation, hemorrhage, and secondary hypoxic injury.

Amanda has chosen to use mechanical traction as a treatment option for a patient who suffers from neck pain and upper extremity paresthesia. Which of the following situations makes the use of mechanical cervical traction contraindicated?

Answer: Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by decreased bone density, making the bones fragile and susceptible to fractures. Applying mechanical cervical traction, which involves a tensile force on the cervical spine, to an osteoporotic patient significantly increases the risk of vertebral fracture or other serious injury. Therefore, osteoporosis is a strong contraindication for the use of mechanical cervical traction.

When applying phonophoresis with hydrocortisone to a patient's lateral epicondyle, which ultrasound parameter best facilitates transdermal drug delivery?

Answer: 1 MHz continuous mode at 1.0 W/cm²

1 MHz continuous ultrasound penetrates deeper and the continuous mode maximizes acoustic streaming to enhance drug penetration into deeper tissue.

A patient reports that a different PT touched them inappropriately during a previous session. What is the correct action?

Answer: Document the report and follow facility and mandatory reporting protocols

Reports of inappropriate conduct must be documented and reported per facility protocol and applicable laws, protecting patient safety.

A PT discovers that a colleague is billing for services not rendered. What is the MOST appropriate initial action?

Answer: Confront the colleague and report to the supervisor or compliance officer

The PT should first address the concern internally by confronting the colleague and reporting to a supervisor or compliance officer, which follows proper channels before external reporting.

A patient's chest X-ray shows a mediastinal shift toward the affected side with ipsilateral hemidiaphragm elevation. Which condition is MOST consistent with these findings?

Answer: Lobar atelectasis

Lobar atelectasis (lung collapse) pulls the mediastinum toward the collapsed lobe due to volume loss, unlike pneumothorax or effusion which push it away.

A physical therapist is performing a 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) on a 72-year-old male with chronic heart failure. The patient completes 250 meters before stopping due to fatigue. Which of the following is the MOST accurate interpretation of this result?

Answer: The distance walked is associated with a poor prognosis.

A distance of less than 300-350 meters on the 6-Minute Walk Test is consistently associated with a poorer prognosis, including increased risk of hospitalization and mortality, in patients with conditions like heart failure and COPD. Therefore, walking 250 meters indicates significant functional limitation and is a poor prognostic indicator. This result would warrant a cautious approach to exercise prescription, not an immediate progression to high-intensity training.

A physical therapy student is providing treatment under the supervision of a licensed PT. Who holds ultimate legal responsibility for the care provided?

Answer: The supervising licensed physical therapist

The supervising licensed physical therapist retains ultimate legal responsibility for all patient care delivered under their supervision.

Which medication side effect should prompt a PT to immediately stop exercise and notify the physician?

Answer: Chest pain and dyspnea during exertion

Chest pain and dyspnea during exercise may indicate cardiac ischemia or pulmonary compromise requiring immediate medical evaluation.

A patient with stroke has difficulty initiating voluntary movement. Which PNF technique is MOST appropriate to address this impairment?

Answer: Rhythmic initiation

Rhythmic initiation progresses from passive to active assistive to active movement, teaching the motor pattern to patients who cannot initiate movement voluntarily.

A physical therapist observes that a patient has excessive foot pronation during midstance. Which muscle is MOST important to strengthen to control this motion?

Answer: Tibialis posterior

The tibialis posterior is the primary dynamic stabilizer of the medial longitudinal arch and controls pronation during the stance phase of gait.

Task-oriented gait training for stroke survivors should PRIMARILY emphasize which characteristic to maximize neuroplastic benefit?

Answer: High repetitions of the complete walking task practiced in variable real-world contexts

Neuroplasticity is driven by high-dose, task-specific, variable practice of the actual walking task; specificity of training and volume of practice are the primary drivers of cortical reorganization.

Which outcome measure is MOST appropriate to assess balance in a patient with peripheral neuropathy affecting the lower extremities?

Answer: Berg Balance Scale

The Berg Balance Scale is a validated outcome measure that assesses functional balance through 14 tasks, making it appropriate for detecting balance deficits caused by peripheral neuropathy.

A PT receives a referral to treat a patient for a condition outside the PT's area of competence. What is the most ethical course of action?

Answer: Decline the referral and direct the patient to a qualified provider

Practicing outside one's competence violates the APTA Code of Ethics; the PT should refer the patient to a practitioner with appropriate expertise.

A physical therapist is applying intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) to a patient's lower extremity to manage chronic lymphedema. The patient's resting blood pressure is 130/85 mmHg. To ensure safety and prevent occlusion of arterial blood flow, the inflation pressure of the IPC unit should NOT exceed which value?

Answer: 85 mmHg

The maximum inflation pressure for an intermittent pneumatic compression device should be set below the patient's diastolic blood pressure to avoid occluding arterial circulation during the inflation cycle. In this case, the patient's diastolic pressure is 85 mmHg, so the pressure should be set at or below this value. Pressures exceeding diastolic BP can function as a tourniquet, impeding arterial flow and potentially causing harm.

A therapist documents that a patient has 4/5 MMT strength of the left hip flexors. This means the patient can:

Answer: Move through full ROM against gravity with some resistance

MMT grade 4 (Good) means the patient can complete full ROM against gravity and resist some but not full examiner resistance.