Medical assistants should know how to perform basic procedures such as removing sutures and staples. Which option matches this skill?

• A. Administering anesthesia
• B. Removing sutures and staples
• C. Interpreting CT scans
• D. Performing brain surgery

Answer: (B)

Basic wound-care skills are part of a medical assistant’s scope, including removing sutures and staples under supervision. This task requires knowing when healing is ready for removal, maintaining sterile technique, and safely taking out each stitch or staple without disturbing the tissue, then applying a dressing and noting any signs of infection or complications. The other options involve more advanced procedures or specialized training not within an MA’s typical responsibilities: administering anesthesia requires licensed personnel and proper safety oversight; interpreting CT scans is radiology work that needs specific credentials; and performing brain surgery is a complex surgical procedure done only by surgeons in an operating room.