CSFA Preoperative Patient Preparation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which consent principle requires that a patient be informed of the risks, benefits, and alternatives before agreeing to surgery?
- Expressed consent
- Implied consent
- Informed consent (Correct answer)
- Proxy consent
Correct answer: Informed consent
Informed consent requires disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives so the patient can make a voluntary, educated decision.
Question 2: A patient taking warfarin is scheduled for elective surgery. What is the most critical preoperative concern?
- Risk of infection
- Risk of uncontrolled bleeding (Correct answer)
- Risk of anaphylaxis
- Risk of malignant hyperthermia
Correct answer: Risk of uncontrolled bleeding
Warfarin is an anticoagulant that increases bleeding risk, requiring careful bridging or reversal protocols before surgery.
Question 3: The NPO (nil per os) guideline for clear liquids before elective surgery in adults is typically:
- 1 hour
- 2 hours (Correct answer)
- 4 hours
- 8 hours
Correct answer: 2 hours
ASA guidelines recommend NPO for clear liquids at least 2 hours before elective procedures to reduce aspiration risk.
Question 4: Which preoperative lab value most directly assesses renal function before administering contrast dye?
- PT/INR
- Serum creatinine (Correct answer)
- Hemoglobin A1c
- Platelet count
Correct answer: Serum creatinine
Serum creatinine reflects glomerular filtration rate and is used to evaluate renal function before nephrotoxic contrast agents.
Question 5: A patient reports a latex allergy during preoperative assessment. The FIRST action by the surgical first assistant should be:
- Cancel the surgical case immediately
- Document and alert the entire surgical team to prepare a latex-free environment (Correct answer)
- Administer prophylactic diphenhydramine
- Proceed with surgery using standard gloves
Correct answer: Document and alert the entire surgical team to prepare a latex-free environment
Documenting and alerting the team allows preparation of a latex-free environment, the standard protocol for latex-allergic patients.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of performing a surgical site mark preoperatively?
- To indicate where the incision will be closed
- To prevent wrong-site surgery (Correct answer)
- To guide anesthesia needle placement
- To identify vascular access sites
Correct answer: To prevent wrong-site surgery
Surgical site marking is a Joint Commission Universal Protocol requirement to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-person surgery.
Question 7: Which patient position increases the risk of venous air embolism during preoperative IV line placement in the neck region?
- Supine with legs elevated
- Trendelenburg
- Reverse Trendelenburg
- Sitting upright (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Sitting upright
The sitting upright position creates negative venous pressure in the neck, increasing the risk of air entering during central line placement.
CSFA Preoperative Patient Preparation 2
Which consent principle requires that a patient be informed of the risks, benefits, and alternatives before agreeing to surgery?