Monitoring Equipment & Technology Flashcards
7 cards from real BCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Monitoring Equipment & Technology flashcards as text
The Severinghaus electrode is used to measure which blood gas parameter?
Answer: PaCO2
The Severinghaus electrode is a modified pH electrode designed to measure PaCO2 by detecting CO2 diffused across a membrane.
Which transducer level is correct when zeroing an arterial line for blood pressure measurement in a supine patient?
Answer: Level of the heart (phlebostatic axis)
The transducer is zeroed at the phlebostatic axis (4th intercostal space, mid-axillary line) which approximates the level of the right atrium.
What is the primary purpose of the pop-off valve (APL valve) in the anesthesia breathing circuit?
Answer: Limit maximum circuit pressure and allow gas scavenging
The APL (adjustable pressure-limiting) valve limits maximum breathing circuit pressure and directs excess gas to the scavenging system.
Bispectral Index (BIS) values between 40 and 60 correspond to which anesthetic state?
Answer: General anesthesia with low recall risk
BIS values of 40-60 indicate a general anesthetic depth appropriate for surgery with a low probability of awareness.
Which parameter does near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measure in the context of cerebral monitoring?
Answer: Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2)
NIRS uses near-infrared light to estimate regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) by measuring oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in underlying tissue.
On a precordial stethoscope placed over the left precordium during anesthesia, which finding would raise immediate concern for air embolism?
Answer: Mill-wheel murmur
A mill-wheel murmur is a characteristic churning sound heard when a large volume of air enters the right heart, indicating significant venous air embolism.
Which device is used to measure neuromuscular blockade by delivering a supramaximal stimulus to a peripheral nerve?
Answer: Train-of-four stimulator (peripheral nerve stimulator)
A peripheral nerve stimulator delivers supramaximal stimuli (e.g., train-of-four) to assess the degree of neuromuscular blockade.