There are often medical circumstances – for example emergency resuscitation – where a patient’s consent cannot be obtained. However, even if a patient is unable to give or withhold consent (e.g. if unconscious) private information must not be divulged to third parties. (There are certain very specialized circumstances, e.g. gunshot wounds, where information may be divulged to very specific third party agencies, e.g. law enforcement)
Melatonin is the key hormone in regulating sleep and wake cycles, or the body's circadian rhythms. Pigment is regulated by melanin and protein synthesis stimulation is the function of the human growth hormone. The fight or flight response is stimulated by the release of catecholamine hormones, like adrenaline. The gonadotropins are responsible for sperm and egg maturation. Therefore, the correct answer is [C].
Taking a patient's pulse is not simply a matter of counting the beats per minute. You should be able to distinguish between a strong and a weak pulse and to identify any irregularity in the pulse rate (missing beats, sudden acceleration/deceleration etc.).
Dilated means opened, expanded or widened. Medical examples include dilated pupils and dilated cervix (during childbirth). A derivation is dilatation, which is a medical procedure, e.g. esophageal dilatation, a procedure to widen the esophagus.
The limbic system is comprised of several brain structures that are responsible for regulating emotion, behavior and motivation. Motor movement is a function of the motor cortex and speech production is housed in Broca's area. Metabolic processes is a very broad term that is not directly related to the limbic system. Therefore, the correct answer is [B].
-penia is a combined Latin/Greek form, meaning poverty, i.e. lacking. Medical examples include leukopenia, a lack of white blood cells, glycopenia, lacking sugar (in tissues) and thrombocytopenia, lacking platelets in the blood.
People may often have reasons to avoid appearing in court cases. This is why courts have the power to issue a subpoena that compels a person or organization to appear and give evidence. Subpoena means, in Latin, “under threat of punishment”, and failure to obey such an order may incur legal penalties.
However good an office's systems may be, it is good practice to check appointments with each team member every day. This ensures that all staff are well prepared and should eliminate double bookings, cancelled appointments etc.
Medical transcription is often part of a medical assistant's duties. Special care should be taken with accuracy when undertaking transcription and you should seek the physician's guidance on any matters that are unclear or terms that you do not understand.
A discharge summary report may include all of these details, but it is essential that it include details of the patient's final condition. If this is not provided, ensure you obtain it from the patient's physician. When this is not properly recorded it could open the way to legal action should the patient develop later complications.
It is vital that all medical personnel are up-to-date with all applicable licenses, certificates etc. A medical office should keep a thorough record of these matters and issue reminders to staff when updates are required; the office itself can be held responsible if it is employing staff whose licenses etc. have lapsed.
Petty cash is the sum of money held in the office to meet immediate office running needs. It should not be used for staff loans or advances on salary; borrowing from petty cash without authorization, even if there is a genuine intention to return the borrowed sum, could be classified as theft.
Although every precaution should be taken to avoid needlestick injury, and treatment should be sought immediately should one occur, the risk of contracting HIV from a needlestick injury is extremely low. The Department of Health calculate the risk, when a medical worker has been stuck with a needle contaminated with HIV+ blood, of contraction as being 0.3%, i.e. it will happen three times in every 1000 incidents.
Chain of custody procedures must be followed for legally sensitive tests. If you're involved in such tests make sure that all paperwork is correctly filled and that you have correctly signed off your part of the testing to the next person in the chain.
An ECG test requires a clear flow between electrodes: any thickening of the skin or metal objects may impede this. Do not place electrodes over piercings, scars or stents or in such a way that these elements may interfere with results.
Some drugs can be administered transdermally via a patch on the skin. This can be a good option for patients who are frightened of needles and for those requiring a steady release of a drug over time.
