Page 4 - ractice Exam Questions and rationales

pneumonia. The sample should be collected before the patient eats or drinks anything.
Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take when disposing of a needle
following a venipuncture?

A. Recap the needle and place it immediately in a sharps container.

B. Push the needle guard over the needle until it clicks and then place in a biohazard bag.

C. Place the needle with safety device activated immediately in a sharps container.

D. Recap the needle and place it on the blood collection tray.

Your response:
Place the needle with safety device activated immediately in a sharps container.
Correct response:
Place the needle with safety device activated immediately in a sharps container.
Rationale: To minimize risk of needlestick exposure and/or injury, the medical assistant should
place the needle with safety device activated immediately in a sharps container. Recapping the
needle increases the risk of an accidental needlestick and is not recommended (if the needle has
a needle guard, it should be activated to minimize risk). All needles should be promptly disposed
of in a sharps container, not in a biohazard bag or on the blood collection tray.
Which of the following is a requirement for a healthcare facility to be in compliance with
OSHA?

A. payment of annual dues

B. current certificate of compliance on file

C. annual employee safety training

D. annual inspections conducted by OSHA

Your response:
annual inspections conducted by OSHA
Correct response:
annual employee safety training
Rationale: MA's in a Medical setting must be in compliance with OSHA guidelines, which
include the following: a) A written exposure control plan, to be updated annually, Use of
universal precautions, b) Consideration, implementation, and use of safer, engineered needles
and sharps, c) Use of engineering and work practice controls and appropriate personal protective
equipment (gloves face and eye protection, gowns), d) Hepatitis B vaccine provided to exposed
employees at no cost, e) Medical follow-up in the event of an “exposure incident”, f) Use of
labels or color-coding for items such as sharps disposal boxes and g) containers for regulated
waste and contaminated laundry.
Which of the following resources should the medical assistant use to look up the code for a
laceration repair?