Safety and Infection Control Flashcards
7 cards from real ABA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Safety and Infection Control flashcards as text
A patient is scheduled for an elective procedure and is found to have methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization. Which perioperative measure is MOST appropriate?
Answer: Implement contact precautions and consider decolonization protocol
Contact precautions must be applied for MRSA-colonized patients, and nasal decolonization with mupirocin before surgery reduces surgical site infection risk.
Which of the following BEST describes the Spaulding classification of 'critical' medical devices?
Answer: Items that enter sterile tissue and require sterilization
Critical devices (e.g., surgical instruments) enter sterile body tissues or the vascular system and must be sterilized to eliminate all microorganisms including spores.
During an anesthetic, a patient develops sudden masseter muscle rigidity after succinylcholine administration. What is the MOST appropriate next step?
Answer: Administer dantrolene immediately and cancel the case
Masseter spasm after succinylcholine may be an early sign of MH; immediate dantrolene administration and case cancellation are prudent until MH is excluded.
An anesthesiologist is preparing to perform a neuraxial block. Which disinfectant should be AVOIDED for skin preparation due to risk of neurotoxicity if introduced intrathecally?
Answer: Chlorhexidine gluconate 2% solution
High-concentration chlorhexidine (≥2%) is neurotoxic and should not be used for neuraxial procedures; lower concentrations in alcohol or povidone-iodine are used.
What is the primary reason double-gloves are recommended during high-risk surgical procedures?
Answer: They reduce outer glove perforation-related blood exposure by approximately 87%
Double gloving significantly reduces the rate of inner glove perforations reaching the skin, substantially decreasing bloodborne pathogen exposure risk.
Which anesthesia workstation safety check confirms the integrity of the low-pressure circuit and the absence of leaks?
Answer: The negative-pressure leak test (low-pressure leak test)
The negative-pressure (low-pressure) leak test, using a suction bulb, checks for leaks in the machine's low-pressure circuit downstream of the flow control valves.
A surgical patient develops fever, hypotension, and oliguria 30 minutes into a transfusion. Which transfusion reaction is MOST immediately life-threatening and requires immediate cessation of transfusion?
Answer: Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction (ABO incompatibility)
Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction from ABO incompatibility can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation and renal failure; the transfusion must be stopped immediately.