Professional Standards & Ethics 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 Professional Standards & Ethics flashcards as text
An anesthesiologist discovers that a colleague is consistently performing nerve blocks outside their documented competency. What is the most ethically appropriate first action?
Answer: Document the incidents and report to the department chief
Documenting incidents and reporting to the department chief initiates a formal peer review process that protects patient safety while following appropriate institutional channels.
Which ASA ethical principle is MOST directly violated when an anesthesiologist accepts a gift from a pharmaceutical representative in exchange for preferential drug selection?
Answer: Fidelity
Fidelity requires loyalty to the patient's best interests; accepting gifts that influence drug selection creates a conflict of interest that breaches this duty.
A patient scheduled for elective surgery is found to have an advance directive refusing blood transfusions. Intraoperatively, the patient develops life-threatening hemorrhage. What should the anesthesiologist do?
Answer: Honor the advance directive and use only blood-sparing techniques
A valid advance directive reflecting a competent patient's prior decision must be honored; the emergency does not override a documented refusal from a previously competent patient.
Under the ASA Guidelines for the Ethical Practice of Anesthesiology, which of the following best describes the anesthesiologist's obligation regarding informed consent?
Answer: The anesthesiologist must personally obtain consent for anesthetic care
The anesthesiologist bears personal responsibility for obtaining informed consent specific to the anesthetic plan, risks, and alternatives.
An anesthesiologist is asked to participate in a lethal injection execution. According to ASA guidelines, this is:
Answer: Ethically prohibited as it violates the physician's healing role
The ASA and AMA prohibit physician participation in executions because it fundamentally conflicts with the physician's role as a healer.
Which action BEST exemplifies the ethical principle of justice in anesthesia practice?
Answer: Allocating anesthesia resources based on clinical need and equitable criteria
Justice requires fair distribution of resources and care based on clinical need rather than ability to pay or social status.
A patient with decision-making capacity refuses preoperative anxiolytic medication after discussing risks. The surgeon urges the anesthesiologist to administer it anyway. The anesthesiologist should:
Answer: Respect the patient's refusal and document accordingly
Patient autonomy requires that a competent patient's refusal be respected, regardless of the surgeon's or anesthesiologist's clinical preference.