Certified Medical Assistant (CMA AAMA)Clinical Workflow and Patient IntakeEasy
A medical assistant is measuring a patient's standing height using a wall-mounted stadiometer. Which instruction is correct for accurate measurement?
- AHave the patient stand with shoes on and heels together
- BHave the patient remove shoes and stand with heels, buttocks, and shoulders against the wall
- CHave the patient stand on one foot with arms raised overhead
- DHave the patient sit on the exam table with legs extended
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Have the patient remove shoes and stand with heels, buttocks, and shoulders against the wall
For accurate height measurement, the patient should remove shoes and stand erect with heels, buttocks, and shoulders touching the wall or stadiometer backboard, looking straight ahead.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Shoes add extra height and cause inaccurate measurement.
- C. This is an unsafe and non-standard positioning.
- D. Sitting does not allow measurement of standing height.
Standing Height Technique
Standing height is measured with the patient shoeless, standing erect against a stadiometer with heels, buttocks, and shoulders touching the surface.
- Remove shoes and bulky headwear
- Patient looks straight ahead (Frankfort plane)
- Measurement taken at top of head with headpiece lowered
Memory trick: Shoes off, back flat, look straight ahead like standing at attention.