2nd PEAT Part I – NPTE Practice Exam Study Guide (Physical Therapy Review, Clinical
Reasoning & Answer Explanations)
A patient reports a 2-day history of a hot, swollen, first metatarsophalangeal joint. This
complaint is MOST common in:
1. osteoarthritis.
2. polymyositis.
3. gout.
4. rheumatoid arthritis. - correct answer ✔✔3
A patient who sustained an avulsion of the right C5 and C6 spinal nerve roots will show
functional loss of right:
1. distal thumb flexion.
2. ulnar wrist deviation.
3. elbow extension.
4. shoulder abduction. - correct answer ✔✔4
After a kidney transplant, a patient develops a Stage 3 pressure injury over the sacrum and is
referred to physical therapy for wound care. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate
agent to use initially on this wound?
1. Povidone-iodine solution
2. Sterile normal saline
3. Silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene) cream
4. Zinc oxide cream - correct answer ✔✔2
When providing patient education in cardiac rehabilitation, which of the following signs and
symptoms of exertional intolerance should the physical therapist emphasize?
1. Anginal pain, insomnia, sudden weight gain, leg stiffness
, 2. Persistent dyspnea, dizziness, anginal pain, sudden weight gain
3. Persistent dyspnea, anginal pain, insomnia, weight loss
4. Anginal pain, confusion, leg numbness, weight loss - correct answer ✔✔2
A patient with no history of trauma has nonradiating low back pain. Lumbar flexion does not
reverse the lordosis and is pain-free; lumbar extension increases the symptom. Palpation
reveals a step-off in the lower lumbar region. The MOST appropriate treatment for this patient
would be:
1. abdominal strengthening.
2. sustained prone positioning on elbows.
3. exaggerated lumbar lordosis in sitting.
4. grade III posteroanterior glide to L5. - correct answer ✔✔1
A patient positioned in prone has difficulty initiating hip extension with the knee bent. Which of
the following muscles will MOST likely need strengthening?
1. Hamstrings
2. Gluteus maximus
3. Lumbar erector spinae
4. Gluteus medius - correct answer ✔✔2
A patient presents with moderate pain in the elbow after a fall. The radiograph is negative for a
fracture. Which of the following mobilizations is MOST appropriate for decreasing the pain?
1. Small-amplitude oscillations before the onset of tissue resistance
2. Small-amplitude oscillations into tissue resistance
3. Large-amplitude oscillations into tissue resistance
4. Large-amplitude oscillations at the end of tissue resistance - correct answer ✔✔1
Reasoning & Answer Explanations)
A patient reports a 2-day history of a hot, swollen, first metatarsophalangeal joint. This
complaint is MOST common in:
1. osteoarthritis.
2. polymyositis.
3. gout.
4. rheumatoid arthritis. - correct answer ✔✔3
A patient who sustained an avulsion of the right C5 and C6 spinal nerve roots will show
functional loss of right:
1. distal thumb flexion.
2. ulnar wrist deviation.
3. elbow extension.
4. shoulder abduction. - correct answer ✔✔4
After a kidney transplant, a patient develops a Stage 3 pressure injury over the sacrum and is
referred to physical therapy for wound care. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate
agent to use initially on this wound?
1. Povidone-iodine solution
2. Sterile normal saline
3. Silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene) cream
4. Zinc oxide cream - correct answer ✔✔2
When providing patient education in cardiac rehabilitation, which of the following signs and
symptoms of exertional intolerance should the physical therapist emphasize?
1. Anginal pain, insomnia, sudden weight gain, leg stiffness
, 2. Persistent dyspnea, dizziness, anginal pain, sudden weight gain
3. Persistent dyspnea, anginal pain, insomnia, weight loss
4. Anginal pain, confusion, leg numbness, weight loss - correct answer ✔✔2
A patient with no history of trauma has nonradiating low back pain. Lumbar flexion does not
reverse the lordosis and is pain-free; lumbar extension increases the symptom. Palpation
reveals a step-off in the lower lumbar region. The MOST appropriate treatment for this patient
would be:
1. abdominal strengthening.
2. sustained prone positioning on elbows.
3. exaggerated lumbar lordosis in sitting.
4. grade III posteroanterior glide to L5. - correct answer ✔✔1
A patient positioned in prone has difficulty initiating hip extension with the knee bent. Which of
the following muscles will MOST likely need strengthening?
1. Hamstrings
2. Gluteus maximus
3. Lumbar erector spinae
4. Gluteus medius - correct answer ✔✔2
A patient presents with moderate pain in the elbow after a fall. The radiograph is negative for a
fracture. Which of the following mobilizations is MOST appropriate for decreasing the pain?
1. Small-amplitude oscillations before the onset of tissue resistance
2. Small-amplitude oscillations into tissue resistance
3. Large-amplitude oscillations into tissue resistance
4. Large-amplitude oscillations at the end of tissue resistance - correct answer ✔✔1
