ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) Version 7 flashcards

A logarithmic scale used to specify the acidity or alkalinity of an aqueous solution.

• Ranges from 0 to 14.
• pH 7 is neutral.
• Lower pH indicates higher acidity, higher pH indicates higher alkalinity (basicity).

Memory trick: High pH means 'hyper-basic'.

A solution that has a higher solute concentration than another solution, typically referring to body fluids like blood plasma.

• Causes water to move out of cells.
• Cells will shrink or crenate.
• Used clinically to reduce edema or increase blood volume.

Memory trick: Hyper-tonic solutions make cells 'hyper-shrink'.

A solution containing a weak acid and its conjugate base (or a weak base and its conjugate acid) that resists changes in pH upon the addition of small amounts of strong acid or base.

• Maintains a relatively constant pH.
• Crucial in biological systems (e.g., blood pH).
• Works by neutralizing added H+ or OH- ions.

Memory trick: Buffers Balance pH, Best for Bio.

Smallest airways in the lungs that branch off from the bronchi and lead to the alveolar ducts and alveoli.

• Lack cartilage support.
• Regulate airflow to alveoli via smooth muscle contraction/relaxation.
• Primary site of resistance in the lower respiratory tract.

Memory trick: Bronchioles are the 'tiny branches' of the lung tree.

A neurotransmitter and hormone primarily involved in the 'fight or flight' response, increasing alertness, heart rate, and blood flow to muscles.

• Released by most postganglionic sympathetic neurons.
• Acts on adrenergic receptors.
• Also functions as a hormone from the adrenal medulla.

Memory trick: Norepinephrine Navigates the 'Now or Never' Response.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood glucose levels by promoting glucose uptake into cells.

• Lowers blood glucose.
• Produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets.
• Deficiency leads to diabetes mellitus.

Memory trick: Insulin is the 'in' hormone, letting glucose 'in' to cells.

The fundamental concept that genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein, involving the processes of replication, transcription, and translation.

• Replication: DNA makes copies of itself.
• Transcription: DNA is transcribed into mRNA.
• Translation: mRNA is translated into protein (amino acid sequence).

Memory trick: DNA 'R'eplicates, 'T'ranscribes 'T'o 'P'rotein.

Clusters of cells within the pancreas responsible for producing hormones like insulin and glucagon, which regulate blood glucose levels.

• Insulin lowers blood glucose by promoting uptake into cells.
• Glucagon raises blood glucose by stimulating glucose release from the liver.
• Dysfunction of these islets leads to diabetes mellitus.

Memory trick: Endocrine Glands: Hormones Help Organs Operate.

A ring of muscle at the junction of the esophagus and stomach that prevents reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus.

• Relaxes to allow food into the stomach.
• Contracts to prevent acid reflux.
• Dysfunction leads to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Memory trick: LES: Less Esophageal Sizzle from Stomach.

Differences found between various sources of patient data, such as written forms, verbal reports, and medical records.

• Often unintentional, due to patient perception or recall.
• Can stem from misunderstanding medical terminology.
• Requires careful clarification by healthcare providers.

Memory trick: Discrepancy: Don't Assume Malice, Seek Clarity!

Determining the correct volume of a liquid medication to administer based on the prescribed dose and available concentration.

• Requires consistent units (e.g., mg or g).
• Formula: (Desired Dose / Available Concentration) * Volume of Available Concentration.
• Always double-check calculations to prevent medication errors.

Memory trick: Desired over Have, Times the Volume you Get.

Determining the quantity of a component within a mixture based on a given ratio and total volume.

• Ratios represent parts of a whole.
• Summing ratio parts gives the total number of parts.
• Each part's proportion is its ratio value divided by the total parts.

Memory trick: Parts add up, then proportion to the Whole!

Calculating the reduction in an area by a fixed percentage over successive periods, where the percentage applies to the successively smaller area.

• First, calculate the initial area (Length × Width).
• The remaining percentage is (100% - decrease percentage).
• Apply the remaining percentage factor iteratively for each period (e.g., 0.90 for a 10% decrease).

Memory trick: Area First, then (1-Rate) to the Power of Time!

Calculating medication dosage based on a patient's body weight, often requiring unit conversion.

• Requires converting pounds (lbs) to kilograms (kg) (1 kg ≈ 2.2 lbs).
• Dosage is typically given in mg/kg.
• Accuracy is critical for patient safety.

Memory trick: Pounds to Kilos First, then Dose per Kilo, so you don't burst!

MAP is the average arterial pressure throughout one cardiac cycle, indicating the perfusion of organs and tissues.

• Calculated using systolic and diastolic blood pressures.
• Formula: MAP = Diastolic Pressure + 1/3(Systolic Pressure - Diastolic Pressure).
• Normal range is typically 70-100 mmHg.

Memory trick: My Arterial Pressure is Diastolic Plus One Third of the Pulse.

Colostomy pouch management involves regular emptying of the pouch when it reaches one-third to one-half full to prevent the pouch from becoming too heavy, which can cause it to pull away from the skin, leading to leakage, skin irritation, and potential infection.

• Prevents excessive weight on the skin barrier.
• Reduces risk of leakage and skin irritation.
• Maintains a secure seal around the stoma.
• Promotes comfort and prevents accidental detachment.

Memory trick: Half full is happy, heavy is leaky and crappy.

The timing and frequency of medication administration based on prescription instructions.

• 'Every X hours' means the interval between doses.
• 'As needed' (PRN) allows flexibility within the prescribed interval.
• Calculating earliest/latest doses requires careful time addition/subtraction.

Memory trick: Dosing times: Start, interval, count doses, track the clock.

Instructions regarding altering a medication's physical form (e.g., 'do not crush/chew') are critical because they preserve the drug's intended release, absorption, and efficacy, directly impacting patient safety.

• Maintains intended drug release profile.
• Prevents overdose or loss of efficacy.
• Crucial for patient safety and therapeutic outcome.

Memory trick: Critical instructions protect you from the pill's peril.

The relative reduction in a quantity, expressed as a percentage of the original quantity.

• Formula: ((Original Value - New Value) / Original Value) * 100%.
• Always based on the original value.
• Used to quantify reductions or improvements.

Memory trick: Difference over Original, then multiply by 100, that's the percentage you've done!

A text structure designed to provide complete and detailed information on all facets of a particular topic, often for practical application.

• Covers multiple dimensions of a subject.
• Aims to be a complete resource for the reader.
• Often includes definitions, causes, treatments, and lifestyle adjustments.

Memory trick: A PAMPHLET is a COMPREHENSIVE guide to a NEW diagnosis.

A mathematical operation to find a part of a whole expressed as a fraction of 100.

• Percentages are often used to represent proportions or rates.
• To calculate a percentage of a number, convert the percentage to a decimal and multiply.
• The whole represents 100%.

Memory trick: Percent means 'per hundred' – convert to decimal, then multiply.

Understanding the abbreviations and structure of physical therapy notes to identify patient status, interventions, and plans of care.

• Uses SOAP or similar structured formats.
• Abbreviations are common for efficiency.
• Focuses on functional movement and rehabilitation.

Memory trick: PT Plan: What Did They DO Today?

An advance referral for services, especially in healthcare, is designed to provide sufficient lead time for the receiving entity to prepare, allocate resources, and ensure continuity of care without interruption.

• Facilitates smooth transitions between care settings.
• Allows for resource allocation and scheduling by the receiving service.
• Reduces potential delays or gaps in patient care.
• Ensures necessary equipment or personnel are ready.

Memory trick: Early notice means ready service, no last-minute circus.

Correlation indicates a relationship between two variables, while causation means one variable directly causes a change in another. Correlation does not automatically mean causation.

• Correlation: variables change together.
• Causation: one variable directly influences another.
• Observational studies show correlation; experimental studies show causation.

Memory trick: CORRELATION is a HINT, not a CAUSE. Needs more PROOF.

Calculating the rate at which intravenous fluids are administered, typically in milliliters per hour (mL/hr).

• Requires converting volume units if necessary (L to mL).
• Involves dividing total volume by total time.
• Essential for patient safety and medication delivery.

Memory trick: Volume over Time gives Rate, remember to Convert!

The recommended 20-second handwashing duration ensures sufficient time for the mechanical action of friction and the chemical action of soap to effectively dislodge, emulsify, and rinse away transient microorganisms.

• Friction physically removes germs.
• Soap emulsifies fats, breaking down pathogen membranes.
• Time ensures thorough coverage and action.

Memory trick: Time and soap combine to clean, making hands germ-free and keen.

A textual arrangement where information begins with broad, overarching concepts and then progresses to more detailed, focused points.

• Starts with general overview.
• Narrows down to specific details or actions.
• Helps build foundational understanding before diving into specifics.

Memory trick: General to Specific: Start BROAD, then DRILL DOWN to details.

The main reason an author writes a particular text or passage, often to inform, explain, persuade, or entertain.

• Look for the overall message or argument.
• Consider what the author wants the reader to understand.
• Distinguish between main purpose and supporting details.

Memory trick: Purpose: Why Did the Author Write This Story?

A formula-based conversion between two common temperature scales.

• Fahrenheit is primarily used in the US.
• Celsius is used in most other countries and scientific contexts.
• The formula is C = (F - 32) × 5/9.

Memory trick: Fahrenheit to Celsius: Subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9.

Calculating a final value after applying multiple percentages (e.g., discount then tax) sequentially to an initial value.

• Apply the first percentage (e.g., discount) to the original price.
• Take the result of the first calculation and apply the second percentage (e.g., tax) to it.
• Order matters: discount is usually applied before tax.

Memory trick: Discount first, then tax; order matters, that's a fact!

Determining the main goal of a text by analyzing its section titles and organizational structure.

• Headings provide clues to the scope and focus of content.
• Look for themes that unify all sections.
• Avoid conclusions based on only one heading.

Memory trick: Headings hint at the whole, not just a part.

Calculating the total amount of active ingredient consumed over a treatment period, involving daily dosage, duration, and unit conversion.

• Calculate daily intake in mg (tablets per dose * doses per day * mg per tablet).
• Calculate total mg over the treatment period (daily mg * duration in days).
• Convert total mg to grams (total mg / 1000).

Memory trick: Tabs per dose, times doses per day, times days, then convert to grams, hooray!

The reasoning behind specific dietary and medication instructions given to patients before a colonoscopy to ensure a clear view of the colon.

• Ensures accurate visualization of the colon lining.
• Prevents misinterpretation of findings (e.g., blood).
• Improves diagnostic accuracy and procedure safety.

Memory trick: Colon Check: Clear View, No Red Clues!

Calculating charges for services based on a fraction of an hourly rate, often involving converting minutes to decimals of an hour.

• Convert minutes to a decimal of an hour (minutes / 60).
• Multiply the total hours by the hourly rate.
• Rounding rules for partial hours must be carefully applied as specified.

Memory trick: Minutes to Decimal, then Multiply by the Rate.

The middle value in a data set when the values are arranged in ascending or descending order.

• First step is always to sort the data.
• For an odd number of data points, it's the exact middle value.
• For an even number, it's the average of the two middle values.

Memory trick: Median's in the Middle, after you Sort!

When patient-reported information contradicts documented history, especially regarding allergies, it requires immediate clarification and accurate updating of the record to ensure patient safety.

• Patient safety is paramount.
• Always clarify conflicting information.
• Document accurately and notify care team.

Memory trick: Conflicting allergy notes mean STOP, CLARIFY, and REPORT.

Calculating how far a value deviates from a specified reference point, expressed as a percentage of that reference.

• Requires identifying the reference point (e.g., target maximum).
• Calculate the absolute difference between the value and the reference.
• Divide by the reference point, then multiply by 100 to get a percentage.

Memory trick: Difference Over Target Max, then Times a Hundred, no turning back!

Recognizing explanations that provide a logical, evidence-based reason for a phenomenon or procedure, often involving biological or chemical processes.

• Connects cause and effect.
• Often explains 'why' something happens or is done.
• Based on established scientific principles.

Memory trick: Explanations reveal the 'why' behind the 'what'.

Translating general nutritional recommendations into specific food choices and meal plans.

• Requires understanding food groups and nutrient content.
• Involves making practical, real-world food selections.
• Essential for managing health conditions like diabetes.

Memory trick: Diabetes Diet: Whole Foods Win, Sugar Sinks!

Calculating the remaining fluid intake needed to meet a daily goal, involving conversion between liters and milliliters.

• Ensure all fluid measurements are in the same unit (e.g., mL).
• Sum the fluid already consumed.
• Subtract the consumed amount from the total daily goal.

Memory trick: Convert all to ML, add what's consumed, then subtract from the goal.

The primary message of a public health announcement is the main takeaway or call to action the authority wants the audience to understand and implement.

• Often focuses on prevention or healthy behaviors.
• Uses clear, concise language.
• Aims to influence public action.

Memory trick: The public message always aims to make a positive impact.

The process of determining the correct amount of medication to administer based on the prescribed dose and the available concentration.

• Often uses ratio and proportion or dimensional analysis.
• Ensures patient safety by preventing over- or under-dosing.
• Requires careful attention to units of measurement.

Memory trick: Dosage formulas ensure patient safety, always double-check.

A pattern of growth where a quantity increases by a fixed percentage or factor over a constant time interval.

• Common in biology (bacteria, cell division) and finance (compound interest).
• The growth rate is proportional to the current size.
• Can be modeled by the formula N(t) = N0 * (growth_factor)^(t/doubling_time).

Memory trick: Exponential growth: multiply by the factor, each time period.

Providing complete and understandable information about a health condition and its management to a patient.

• Covers various aspects: diet, exercise, meds, monitoring.
• Aims to improve patient knowledge and skills.
• Promotes active self-management and better outcomes.

Memory trick: Education EMPOWERS patients to take CHARGE of their health.

Calculating a fraction of a quantity that is itself a remainder after an initial fraction has been removed.

• First, find the fraction of the whole that remains after the initial event.
• Then, multiply the second fraction by this remaining fraction.
• This determines the portion of the original whole represented by the second event.

Memory trick: Find what's left, then take a piece of that rest.

Actions taken immediately after a blood draw to promote hemostasis and prevent complications.

• Apply direct pressure to the site.
• Keep arm extended and still.
• Prevents bruising and hematoma formation.

Memory trick: After the NEEDLE, HOLD still to STOP the BLEED.

Calculating the number of tablets needed for a prescribed dose when the available strength and prescribed dose are in different units.

• Requires converting grams (g) to milligrams (mg) (1 g = 1000 mg).
• All quantities must be in the same unit before division.
• Final step is dividing total dose by dose per tablet.

Memory trick: Grams to Milligrams, then Total Dose over Tablet Strength!

The rate at which intravenous fluids are delivered, measured in drops per minute, determined by total volume, time, and tubing drop factor.

• Formula: (Total Volume in mL * Drop Factor gtt/mL) / Total Time in minutes.
• Drop factor is specific to the IV tubing used.
• Essential for accurate and safe medication administration.

Memory trick: Volume times Drops, divided by Minutes, gives you the drips.

Making logical conclusions or interpretations based on given facts, evidence, and statistics, even if not explicitly stated.

• Requires careful analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Distinguish from direct statements or assumptions.
• Must be supported by the provided text.

Memory trick: Safety Stats: Read the Numbers, Not the Hype!

A perceived shift in the position of an object due to a change in the observer's viewing angle, leading to inaccurate measurements.

• Common in analog instruments with needles/scales.
• Eliminated by viewing perpendicular to the scale.
• Crucial for precision in scientific and technical measurements.

Memory trick: Measure Smart: Look Straight, Read Straight!

Providing distinct health information based on gender to account for physiological differences, varying symptom presentations, or different risk factors, thereby improving recognition and care.

• Addresses biological/physiological differences.
• Helps identify 'atypical' symptom presentations.
• Aims to reduce misdiagnosis and improve outcomes.

Memory trick: Gender details improve care, preventing missed signs.

A legal statement used in advertising or product claims to acknowledge that individual outcomes can differ, thereby limiting liability for guaranteed results.

• Common in health, fitness, and financial products.
• Protects advertisers from legal challenges.
• Acknowledges inherent variability in human response or outcomes.

Memory trick: DISCLAIMERS are legal SHIELDS for advertisers.

Determining the amount of powdered medication required to achieve a specific concentration when reconstituted with a given volume of diluent.

• Concentration is expressed as mass per volume (e.g., mg/mL).
• Involves multiplying the target concentration by the diluent volume.
• Ensures the final solution has the desired strength.

Memory trick: Concentration times Volume, that's the powder's true sum!

Analyzing the components of a CBC lab report, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, to assess overall health and diagnose conditions.

• Hgb, Hct, RBC indicate oxygen-carrying capacity.
• Low values often suggest anemia.
• Compare results to established normal ranges.

Memory trick: Anemia: HHH is Low, Oh No!

Adherence to the full prescribed duration of medication, especially antibiotics, is vital to eliminate pathogens completely and prevent the development of drug resistance.

• Prevents recurrence of infection.
• Minimizes development of antibiotic resistance.
• Ensures full therapeutic effect.

Memory trick: Follow the full path for a lasting cure.

The central point or message the author wants to convey, often supported by details and evidence.

• Often found in the introduction or conclusion.
• Can be explicitly stated or implied.
• Distinguish from supporting details or recommendations.

Memory trick: Core Idea: Look for the Study's Big Reveal!

Calculating the new value of a quantity after it has been reduced by a specific percentage.

• Calculate the amount of decrease: Percentage * Original Value.
• Subtract the decrease from the original value: Original - Decrease.
• Alternatively, multiply Original Value by (1 - Percentage as decimal).

Memory trick: Find the percent of the whole, then subtract it from the whole goal.

A comprehensive guide organizational strategy presents a holistic overview of a topic, covering multiple interrelated aspects to provide a complete understanding.

• Covers various facets of a subject.
• Aims for complete understanding.
• Often used in patient education materials.

Memory trick: A good guide gives you the whole picture, piece by piece.

A way to express the concentration of a solution, often as a ratio of solute to total volume or solute to solvent.

• Expressed as '1:X' meaning 1 part solute to X total parts solution.
• Can also be '1:X' meaning 1 part solute to X parts solvent, requiring careful interpretation.
• Crucial in laboratories and healthcare for preparing solutions of specific concentrations.

Memory trick: Dilution ratios: Part to total, or part to solvent. Be clear!

Calculating a cost or amount based on a rate per unit of time, where the time duration is not a whole number of units and needs conversion.

• Time must be in a consistent unit (e.g., all hours or all minutes).
• Fractions of an hour need to be converted to decimals (e.g., 30 min = 0.5 hr).
• Multiply the rate by the total time in the consistent unit.

Memory trick: Convert minutes to a decimal hour, then multiply by the rate, that's your power!