Licensing Exam Questions for Ultrasound

Which of the following tissues absorbs the least amount of an ultrasound beam at 1 MHz?

A patient is having pain, edema, and increased warmth at the area of the lateral epicondyle of the left upper extremity. Which of the following choices would be most beneficial for treatment of this patient’s condition if no other medical condition is present that would be considered a contraindication of use of ultrasound or phonophoresis?

A 25-year-old woman has been evaluated by a physical therapist and referred to a PTA because of low back pain. The PTA is performing an ultrasound treatment at the L3 paraspinal level (which is within the plan of care) when the patient informs the assistant that she is looking forward to having her third child. On further investigation, the assistant discovers that the patient is in the first trimester of pregnancy. Which of the following is the best course of action for the assistant?

Which of the following is a contraindication to ultrasound at 1.5 W/cm2 with a 1 MHz sound head?

A PTA is asked by the supervising physical therapist to treat a 12-year-old boy with a diagnosis of patella tendonitis. The supervising physical therapist has suggested eccentric quadriceps strengthening, hamstring stretching, ultrasound, and ice. Which of the suggested treatments should be avoided with this patient?

A 31-year-old woman with a diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis is receiving ultrasound. Which of the following is true concerning the frequency of ultrasound in this application?

A PTA has been treating a 28-year-old man, with a diagnosis of tennis elbow, 3 times a week for 3 weeks in an outpatient facility. Treatments have consisted of ultrasound (with a 3-MHz sound head at 1.5 W/cm2 to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus), extensor musculature stretching, job modification, and ice. The patient reports no change in pain level over the past several weeks. His strength and ROM remain the same as assessed at the initial evaluation. The supervising physical therapist suggests the substitution of phonophoresis (instead of ultrasound), with hydrocortisone, to the treatment plan. What changes should the PTA make to the ultrasound dosage in order to effectively administer phonophoresis?

A PTA completes documentation after administering an ultrasound treatment. Which treatment parameter would be the LEAST important to document?

A PTA administers ultrasound over a patient’s anterior thigh. After one minute of treatment, the patient reports feeling a slight burning sensation under the sound head. The MOST appropriate action is to :

A PTA reviews a patient coverage form that lists the parameters used during a recent ultrasound treatment to the right anterior shoulder : 1.5 W/cm2, pulsed 20%, 1 MHz, 6 minutes. Assuming the objective of the ultrasound was to increase tissue temperature, which parameter would be the MOST critical for the PTA to alter?

A PTA uses a 3 MHz ultrasound beam at 1.5 W/cm2 to treat a patient diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The majority of ultrasound energy will be absorbed within a depth of :

A PTA uses ultrasound to heat tissues at a depth of approximately four centimeters. Which parameter of ultrasound would MOST influence the depth of tissue heating?

A patient is treated using pulsed wave ultrasound at 1.2 W/cm2 for seven minutes. The specific parameters of the pulsed wave are 2 msec on time and 8 msec off time for one pulse period. The duty cycle should be recorded as :

A PTA selects a therapeutic ultrasound generator with a frequency of 3.0 MHZ. Which condition would MOST warrant the use of this frequency?