American Medical Technologist (AMT) Practice Exam

What is a key step in properly identifying a coherent adult inpatient before a procedure?

1. Asking the patient to verify their age

2. Checking the patient’s medical history

3. Asking the patient their name and verifying their ID band

4. Confirming the patient's allergies

The correct answer is: Asking the patient their name and verifying their ID band

A key step in properly identifying a coherent adult inpatient before a procedure is asking the patient their name and verifying their ID band. This process is critical in ensuring patient safety and preventing medical errors. By confirming the patient's name against their identification band, healthcare professionals can accurately match the patient to their medical records and the specific procedure planned. This step is fundamental in maintaining the integrity of the identification process, especially in settings where multiple patients may be receiving similar procedures. It helps to ensure that the right patient receives the right treatment, drastically reducing the risk of mix-ups or errors that could have serious consequences for patient care. While confirming age, checking medical history, and confirming allergies are certainly important aspects of patient assessment and safety, they do not primarily serve the function of patient identification like verifying the name and ID band does. Hence, the focus on name and ID verification stands out as the most essential step for proper patient identification in this context.