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

Critical medication instructions are those that, if not followed precisely, can lead to significant patient harm, such as overdose, severe side effects, or complete loss of drug efficacy, often due to altered pharmacokinetics.

• Instructions regarding crushing/chewing are often due to extended-release formulations or enteric coatings.
• Altering these can lead to 'dose dumping' or drug degradation.
• These instructions directly impact drug absorption and concentration.
• Failure to follow can result in immediate adverse reactions.

Memory trick: Harm prevention is priority one, beyond comfort or completion.

Growth where an initial amount increases by a fixed percentage over successive periods, with the percentage applied to the new, larger amount each time.

• Formula: Final Amount = Initial Amount * (1 + Rate)^Time.
• Rate must be in decimal form.
• Different from simple interest/growth.

Memory trick: Start Amount, Times (1 + Rate) to the Power of Time!

Determining the main goal or objective an author has in creating a text or document.

• Look for the overarching theme or message.
• Consider what action or understanding the text is trying to elicit.
• Distinguish between primary purpose and supporting details.

Memory trick: Purposeful writing guides the reader's mind.

Specific directions provided by healthcare professionals for how, when, and under what conditions a medication should be taken to ensure its efficacy and patient safety.

• Crucial for patient safety and treatment effectiveness.
• Includes dosage, frequency, route, and special considerations.
• Understanding these instructions prevents medication errors.

Memory trick: Pill Power: Read Every Direction Carefully!

Medication reconciliation is the process of creating the most accurate list possible of all medications a patient is taking — including drug name, dosage, frequency, and route — and comparing that list against the physician's admission, transfer, and discharge orders, to prevent medication errors.

• Crucial during transitions of care (admission, transfer, discharge).
• Aims to prevent medication errors like omissions, duplications, or incorrect dosing.
• Involves comparing existing and new medication lists.
• Ensures continuity and safety of medication therapy.

Memory trick: Med Rec means 'meds reconciled,' so no errors are compiled.

Distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections often relies on specific clinical signs, lab results, and the absence of indicators for one type of pathogen.

• Symptoms can overlap (fever, malaise).
• Specific findings (e.g., lung sounds, WBC count) are key.
• Lack of expected bacterial signs points to viral.

Memory trick: Viral = less specific, Bacterial = more focused signs.

Calculating future times by adding a fixed interval to a given start time, often crossing hour boundaries.

• Remember that there are 60 minutes in an hour.
• Adding minutes can carry over to the next hour.
• Essential for scheduling and monitoring in healthcare.

Memory trick: Add the interval, watch the hour roll!

Key clinical indicators for Congestive Heart Failure include dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates (pulmonary edema), and response to diuretics.

• Dyspnea on exertion and orthopnea are common symptoms.
• Bilateral pulmonary infiltrates suggest fluid in the lungs.
• Diuretics like furosemide are standard treatment to reduce fluid overload.

Memory trick: Symptoms, X-ray, and meds form a diagnostic triangle.

The process of changing a measurement from one unit of mass to another (e.g., grams to milligrams).

• 1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg).
• 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g).
• Essential for accurate dosage calculations in healthcare.

Memory trick: Kilo to milli: King Henry Died by Drinking Chocolate Milk (K, H, D, base, d, c, m).

Statements that limit liability, provide warnings, or advise caution, often found in health, legal, or financial contexts.

• Protects providers from legal action.
• Informs users of potential risks.
• Encourages users to seek professional advice.

Memory trick: Disclaimers protect and warn, keeping everyone safe.

The segment of a patient's electronic health record that outlines the proposed course of action and treatment strategy based on the 'Impression' (diagnosis).

• Directly follows the 'Impression' or 'Assessment'.
• Includes medications, procedures, referrals, and further diagnostics.
• Guides immediate and future patient care decisions.

Memory trick: Plan: What's Next for This Patient's Journey?

The total volume or quantity of medication a patient will take over a specified period, calculated by multiplying the per-dose amount by the frequency and duration.

• Requires knowing dose per administration.
• Requires knowing frequency of administration.
• Requires knowing duration of treatment.

Memory trick: Dose Frequently, Duration's the Key, Total Med's What You'll See!

The central, most important idea or information that an author or speaker intends to convey to the audience.

• Often the main takeaway or call to action.
• Supported by other details in the text.
• Answers the question: 'What is this text mainly about?'

Memory trick: Announcements aim to inform and warn.

The period required for a quantity to double in size or value, assuming a constant rate of exponential growth.

• Applies to populations growing exponentially.
• Calculated by determining how many doublings occurred over a given time.
• Often used in microbiology and finance.

Memory trick: How many 'times two' to reach the end, then divide the time, my friend!

Using proportional relationships to determine the correct volume of medication based on desired dose and available concentration.

• Set up a ratio of 'what you have' to 'what you want'.
• Ensure units are consistent on both sides of the proportion.
• Cross-multiplication is a common method to solve.

Memory trick: Have over mL, Equals Want over X, then Cross-Multiply!

Specific conditions, services, or circumstances that an insurance policy will not cover or will only cover under restricted terms.

• Defines the scope of non-coverage.
• Crucial for understanding policy boundaries.
• Prevents misunderstandings and disputes.

Memory trick: EXCLUSIONS EXCLUDE what you CAN'T CLAIM.

Converting multiple quantities from different units to a single common unit and then summing them.

• Requires knowledge of common conversion factors (L to mL, cups to mL).
• All values must be in the same unit before summing.
• Crucial for accurate total intake/output calculations in healthcare.

Memory trick: Convert all to Milliliters, then Add it all Together!

Post-operative instructions are given to patients after surgery to guide their recovery, prevent complications, and promote healing.

• Focus on preventing specific complications.
• Provide actionable steps for patient care.
• Are crucial for successful recovery.

Memory trick: After surgery, avoid the 'oops' by following the rules.

Specific instructions given to patients after surgery to prevent complications, promote healing, and ensure a safe recovery, often including limitations on physical activity.

• Aimed at preventing injury or stress to the surgical site.
• Vary depending on the type of surgery and patient condition.
• Crucial for optimal healing and reducing readmission risk.

Memory trick: After the cut, protect the gut!

Using ratios and fractions to determine unknown quantities based on established relationships.

• Ratios represent a part-to-whole or part-to-part relationship.
• Can be expressed as fractions or decimals.
• Used to predict outcomes based on observed patterns.

Memory trick: No-Shows are 2/5, so Show-Ups are 3/5, then Multiply!

Using a given ratio and the actual quantity of one part to determine the total quantity of all parts combined.

• Sum the ratio parts to find the total number of 'units' in the ratio.
• Use the known quantity for one part of the ratio to find the value of one 'unit'.
• Multiply the total ratio units by the value of one unit to get the total quantity.

Memory trick: Ratio parts sum, find one part's worth, then multiply for the sum.

Determining how long a current supply of an item will last based on its total quantity and average daily consumption.

• Requires total quantity of the item in consistent units.
• Requires the average consumption rate per day.
• Formula: Total Quantity / Daily Consumption Rate = Duration in Days.

Memory trick: Total Items, Divided by Daily Use, tells you when you're through.

Correlational data indicates a relationship between two variables but does not prove that one causes the other. Conclusions should reflect association, not direct causation, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

• Correlation ≠ Causation.
• Suggests a relationship or association.
• Used to identify potential areas for further causal research.

Memory trick: Links don't mean leads; correlation is not creation.

The strength of diagnostic evidence refers to how specific and indicative a particular finding (symptom, sign, lab result) is for a given disease, with physical exam findings like guarding and rebound tenderness being highly specific for acute abdominal pathology.

• Symptoms are subjective and less specific.
• Lab results can indicate general inflammation but lack specificity.
• Physical exam signs (like guarding) are objective and often highly specific.
• A plan of action (e.g., surgery consult) is a consequence of the diagnosis, not evidence of it.

Memory trick: Specific signs beat general pains; actions follow, don't explain.

A measure of the relative change in a quantity, expressed as a percentage of the original quantity.

• Calculated as (New Value - Original Value) / Original Value * 100%.
• Always based on the original value.
• Used to show relative growth or change.

Memory trick: New Minus Old, Over Old, Times a Hundred, then you're BOLD!

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!

In legal and financial documents, this section explicitly states what is not covered or under what conditions coverage/service is restricted.

• Ensures transparency and clarity.
• Manages expectations of parties involved.
• Prevents future disputes or misunderstandings.

Memory trick: Exclusions exclude surprises, by being clear and true.

Limitations on physical exertion, especially lifting, following surgery to protect the healing surgical site.

• Prevents strain on incisions.
• Reduces risk of wound dehiscence or herniation.
• Duration depends on type of surgery and individual healing.

Memory trick: After surgery, RESTRICT heavy lifting to PROTECT the REPAIR.

Determining the broad, overarching plan or method being employed to achieve a specific goal, based on a collection of initiatives or actions.

• Requires synthesizing multiple pieces of information.
• Looks for patterns and common themes across actions.
• Distinguishes between individual actions and the collective approach.

Memory trick: Strategy: Many Paths to One Health Goal!

Weight by volume percentage (w/v) expresses the number of grams of solute in 100 milliliters of solution.

• Units are typically grams per 100 mL.
• Used for solid solutes dissolved in liquid solvents.
• A common way to express solution strength in healthcare.

Memory trick: Grams on top, mL on the bottom, times 100, that's the percent solution's song!

The main, overarching point or call to action that a public health communication intends to convey to its audience.

• Often emphasizes a single, actionable behavior.
• Aims to inform and motivate the public.
• Distills complex information into a simple takeaway.

Memory trick: The ANNOUNCEMENT's main point is the BIG IDEA.

A collection of signs and symptoms that indicate the heart's inability to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, leading to fluid accumulation.

• S3 heart sound (ventricular gallop).
• Jugular Venous Distension (JVD).
• Peripheral edema (often bilateral and pitting).
• Dyspnea, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.

Memory trick: CHF: S3, JVD, Edema—FLUID OVERLOAD from a WEAK HEART.

The relative reduction in area, calculated as the decrease in area divided by the initial area, expressed as a percentage.

• Requires calculating initial and final areas.
• Formula: ((Initial Area - Final Area) / Initial Area) * 100.
• Used to track changes in size, such as wound healing or tissue shrinkage.

Memory trick: Initial minus Final, divided by Initial, then times 100.

Dyspnea refers to difficult or labored breathing; 'on exertion' specifies that this difficulty occurs during physical activity.

• Dyspnea = shortness of breath.
• Exertion = physical activity.
• Common symptom of respiratory or cardiac issues.

Memory trick: Break down words to build understanding.

Using the title of a section or passage to predict or confirm its central theme or primary message.

• Titles often serve as a concise summary of the content.
• Keywords in the title guide understanding.
• Section titles help organize and structure information.

Memory trick: Title's Clue: The Header Holds the Heart!

Determining the relative growth of a quantity, calculated as the increase divided by the original quantity, expressed as a percentage.

• Calculate the absolute increase: New Value - Original Value.
• Divide the absolute increase by the Original Value.
• Multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.

Memory trick: New minus Old, divided by Old, times 100, makes the story told.

Guidelines established by health organizations to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths.

• Back to sleep is paramount.
• Firm, clear sleep surface is essential.
• Room-sharing, not bed-sharing, is recommended.

Memory trick: SAFE Sleep: Alone, Back, Crib, Clear!

Inferring the most reasonable outcome or implication from information that describes associations or increased risks, without assuming direct causation or universal effects.

• Correlation does not equal causation.
• Look for 'risk,' 'association,' 'link,' 'tendency.'
• Avoid absolute statements (e.g., 'all,' 'cure,' 'only').

Memory trick: Read carefully, don't over-infer; stick to what's implied, not just said.

A subordinating conjunction connects a dependent (subordinate) clause to an independent clause, showing a relationship between the two. Common examples include 'because,' 'although,' 'while,' 'if,' 'when,' 'as,' 'until,' and 'which' (in relative clauses).

• Introduces a dependent clause.
• Establishes a relationship (e.g., cause/effect, time, condition) between clauses.
• Cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

Memory trick: Subordinate conjunctions are like tiny bridges connecting different parts of a sentence.

A text organization strategy where a broad topic is introduced first, followed by increasingly detailed or specific information about that topic.

• Starts with an overview or main idea.
• Progresses to sub-topics or supporting details.
• Helps readers understand context before details.

Memory trick: GSP (General-Specific Pyramid) for organizing ideas.

The process of critically analyzing the summary of a research study to understand its key findings, limitations, and implications.

• Focus on stated results, not assumptions.
• Distinguish between statistical significance and practical importance.
• Identify explicit conclusions and noted limitations.

Memory trick: READ: Results, Evidence, Assumptions, Details.

A type of white blood cell (leukocyte) that is the first line of defense against bacterial infections and inflammation.

• Most abundant type of leukocyte (40-70% of total WBCs).
• Phagocytize bacteria and cellular debris.
• Contain granules with lytic enzymes and antimicrobial agents.

Memory trick: Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas (Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Eosinophils, Basophils)

Parallel structure (also called parallelism) is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence. By making each compared item or idea in your sentence follow the same grammatical pattern, you create a parallel construction.

• Used for lists, comparisons, and compound structures.
• Enhances clarity, readability, and rhetorical effect.
• Common forms include words, phrases, and clauses.

Memory trick: Like a train, each car must match the one before it.

Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

• Synonyms: omnipresent, pervasive, widespread.
• Often used in scientific or formal contexts.
• Implies a very common and widespread presence.

Memory trick: Ubi-quitous: Everywhere, you can't quit seeing it!

A semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning, or to separate items in a complex list that already contain commas.

• Connects independent clauses without a conjunction.
• Used in lists with internal commas.
• Can replace a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Memory trick: Semicolon: A strong comma, a weak period.

A text organization strategy where a problem is introduced, and then one or more solutions to that problem are presented and discussed.

• Clearly identifies a problem.
• Proposes methods to resolve the problem.
• Often used in persuasive or informative texts.

Memory trick: P&S: Problem first, then Solutions.

A text organization strategy where information is grouped into distinct, related sub-topics or categories, each of which addresses a different aspect of the main subject.

• Divides a main subject into distinct sub-sections.
• Sections are related but not necessarily sequential.
• Often uses headings and subheadings to delineate topics.

Memory trick: TOPICS: Organize Parts Into Categories.

The scientific reason why handwashing with soap and water should last at least 20 seconds: to allow for the effective mechanical and chemical removal of pathogens.

• Combines friction (mechanical) and soap (chemical) action.
• Sufficient time to dislodge and inactivate germs.
• Removes transient microorganisms effectively.

Memory trick: TIME + SCRUB = CLEAN

The established procedure for healthcare professionals to follow when inconsistencies or potential errors are identified in a patient's medication information.

• Prioritizes patient safety.
• Requires immediate action to clarify.
• Involves informing the prescribing provider.

Memory trick: DISCREPANCY: Don't Ignore, Clarify, Report, Escalate, Protect Patient.

The central point or message that an author wants to convey about a topic in a text or section.

• Often found in topic sentences or headings.
• Encompasses all supporting details.
• Answers the question: 'What is this mostly about?'

Memory trick: TOPIC + WHAT ABOUT IT?