CAA Perioperative Patient Care & Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real CAA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 CAA Perioperative Patient Care & Assessment flashcards as text
During the preoperative assessment, which ASA Physical Status classification applies to a patient with well-controlled hypertension and type 2 diabetes with no systemic complications?
Answer: ASA II
ASA II applies to patients with mild systemic disease that is well-controlled and causes no functional limitations.
A patient scheduled for elective surgery reports taking warfarin daily. What is the most appropriate initial action for the anesthesia team?
Answer: Check the patient's INR and notify the surgical team
Checking the INR determines the degree of anticoagulation, which guides bridging therapy decisions made collaboratively with the surgeon.
Which preoperative fasting guideline (NPO) is recommended by the ASA for clear liquids in adult patients undergoing elective surgery?
Answer: 2 hours
ASA guidelines permit clear liquids up to 2 hours before elective procedures to reduce pulmonary aspiration risk while minimizing patient discomfort.
When positioning a patient in the lithotomy position, which complication is the anesthesia assistant most vigilant about during prolonged procedures?
Answer: Compartment syndrome of the lower extremities
Elevated legs with restricted perfusion during prolonged lithotomy can cause lower extremity compartment syndrome, a limb-threatening emergency.
A 68-year-old patient with known GERD is scheduled for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Which preoperative medication is commonly given to reduce aspiration risk?
Answer: Metoclopramide and sodium citrate
Metoclopramide accelerates gastric emptying and increases lower esophageal sphincter tone, while sodium citrate neutralizes gastric acid to reduce aspiration injury risk.
Which finding on a preoperative airway assessment would most strongly predict a difficult laryngoscopy?
Answer: Interincisor gap less than 3 cm with limited neck extension
Reduced mouth opening combined with limited neck extension severely restricts laryngoscope blade placement and laryngeal axis alignment, predicting difficult direct laryngoscopy.
In the PACU, a patient becomes increasingly agitated and is not responding to verbal commands 30 minutes after a sevoflurane-based general anesthetic. What should be ruled out first?
Answer: Emergence delirium or hypoxia
Hypoxia is the most life-threatening immediately reversible cause of postoperative agitation and must be excluded before attributing symptoms to emergence delirium.