RMA flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Order of Draw

CLSI sequence for venipuncture: blood cultures, light-blue citrate, red/gold serum, green heparin, lavender EDTA, gray glycolytic inhibitor. Filling additive tubes in this order prevents cross-contamination between additives.

Tourniquet Time Limit

A tourniquet should stay in place no longer than 1 minute. Prolonged occlusion causes hemoconcentration and falsely elevates potassium, protein, and enzyme results.

Autoclave Standard Settings

Gravity-displacement sterilization uses 121 °C (250 °F) at 15 psi for 15–20 minutes. A spore test using Geobacillus stearothermophilus is the accepted validation method.

Ventrogluteal Site

The safest adult IM injection site. Locate it by placing the palm on the greater trochanter and the index finger on the anterior superior iliac spine, then inject into the V formed by the spread fingers.

Deltoid Injection Limit

The maximum volume for a deltoid IM injection is 1 mL. The site sits 2–3 fingerbreadths below the acromion process; larger volumes require a larger muscle such as the vastus lateralis.

Adult Respiratory Rate Range

Normal resting respiratory rate in an adult is 12–20 breaths per minute. Respirations are counted for 30 seconds and doubled, or for a full 60 seconds when abnormal.

Infant Heel Puncture Site

For capillary puncture in an infant, use the lateral or medial plantar surface of the heel. The posterior curvature and central heel pad are avoided because of risk to the calcaneus.

Standard Precautions

Infection-control practices applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis: hand hygiene, gloves for contact with blood or body fluids, and mask with eye protection when splash exposure is likely.

SOAP Note Format

A progress note structured as Subjective (patient's reported symptoms), Objective (measurable findings), Assessment (provider impression), and Plan (diagnostics, treatment, education, follow-up).

Minimum Necessary Standard

A HIPAA rule requiring that only the protected health information needed to accomplish a given purpose be used or disclosed. Requests for treatment are exempt from strict application.

ICD-10-CM Versus CPT

ICD-10-CM codes diagnoses and the reason for the encounter, while CPT codes describe procedures and services performed. Both code sets appear on most insurance claims.

Write-It-Once System

A pegboard bookkeeping method in which a single handwritten entry creates the day sheet, patient ledger, and receipt simultaneously, reducing duplicate posting and transcription errors.

Explanation of Benefits

An insurer's statement sent after a claim is processed. It shows charges submitted, allowed amount, deductible, coinsurance, and the remaining patient responsibility.

Chart Error Correction

Draw a single line through an incorrect entry so it stays legible, write the correction, and add initials and date. Correction fluid and erasure are never used on medical records.

Sagittal Plane

A vertical plane dividing the body into right and left portions. A midsagittal plane passes through the midline, while parasagittal planes lie parallel to it off center.

Axial Versus Appendicular

The axial skeleton contains 80 bones including skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum. The appendicular skeleton contains 126 bones of the limbs and girdles, totaling 206.

Cervical Vertebrae Count

There are 7 cervical vertebrae, labeled C1 through C7. C1 is the atlas and C2 the axis; these two are specialized to permit nodding and head rotation.

Diaphysis

The shaft of a long bone. It is a cylinder of compact bone surrounding the medullary cavity, which holds bone marrow and is lined by endosteum.

Cardiac Output Formula

Cardiac output equals heart rate multiplied by stroke volume. A resting adult value is about 5 L/min, for example 70 beats per minute times 70 mL per beat.

Normal Blood pH

Arterial blood pH normally ranges from 7.35 to 7.45. Values below 7.35 indicate acidosis, and values above 7.45 indicate alkalosis.

Red Cell Lifespan

Erythrocytes circulate about 120 days before macrophages in the spleen and liver remove them. The kidneys release erythropoietin to stimulate replacement in red bone marrow.

Suffix -ectomy

A surgical suffix meaning removal or excision. Examples include appendectomy, removal of the appendix, and hysterectomy, removal of the uterus.

Prefix Tachy-

A prefix meaning fast or rapid. It appears in tachycardia, a heart rate above 100 per minute, and tachypnea, a respiratory rate above 20 per minute.

Combining Form Cardi/o

A word root meaning heart. It builds terms such as cardiology, the study of the heart, and cardiomyopathy, a disease of heart muscle.

Suffix -itis

A suffix indicating inflammation. Examples are gastritis, inflammation of the stomach lining, and dermatitis, inflammation of the skin.

Prefix Hypo-

A prefix meaning below normal, deficient, or under. Examples include hypoglycemia, low blood glucose, and hypotension, blood pressure below the normal range.

Four D's of Negligence

Duty, dereliction of that duty, direct cause, and damages. A malpractice claim requires the patient to prove all four elements.

HIPAA Breach Notification

After discovering a breach of unsecured protected health information, a covered entity must notify affected individuals without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovery.

Informed Consent Elements

Valid informed consent requires patient capacity, disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives, comprehension of that information, and voluntary authorization to proceed with the procedure.

Reportable Confidentiality Exceptions

Patient information may be disclosed without authorization for reportable communicable diseases, suspected abuse or neglect, certain wounds such as gunshot injuries, and court orders.

Respondeat Superior

A legal doctrine holding an employer liable for negligent acts of an employee committed within the scope of employment. It underlies much of medical practice liability.

Advance Directive Types

A living will records a patient's treatment preferences when terminally ill. A durable power of attorney for health care names a surrogate to make decisions if the patient cannot.