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Terminology anatomy practice questions

27 questions from the medical assistant practice test.

Terminology anatomy practice test

10 questions, graded as you go, with the reason for every answer. No sign-up.

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Sample questions

A provider orders a patient to be kept NPO before a procedure. What does this mean?

  1. Normal oral intake
  2. Nothing after noon
  3. Nothing by mouth
  4. No pain medication orally
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C. Nothing by mouth

NPO comes from the Latin for nothing by mouth: no food, drink or oral medication unless the provider says otherwise. It has nothing to do with the time of day or with pain medication specifically.

Reference: Medical terminology: common abbreviations

Which suffix means surgical removal of a body part?

  1. -ectomy
  2. -ostomy
  3. -plasty
  4. -otomy
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A. -ectomy

-ectomy means surgical removal (appendectomy). -otomy is only an incision into a structure, -ostomy creates a new opening, and -plasty is a surgical repair.

Reference: Medical terminology: prefixes, suffixes and combining forms

A patient reports difficulty swallowing. Which term should appear in the chart?

  1. Dyspnea
  2. Dyspepsia
  3. Dysphasia
  4. Dysphagia
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D. Dysphagia

Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing (phag = eat or swallow). Dysphasia, one letter different, is difficulty with speech; dyspnea is difficult breathing and dyspepsia is indigestion.

Reference: Medical terminology: prefixes, suffixes and combining forms

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