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
Which preoperative lab value would most prompt postponement of elective surgery in a patient with no clinical symptoms?
Answer: Serum potassium of 2.9 mEq/L
A serum potassium below 3.0 mEq/L increases risk of intraoperative arrhythmias and should be corrected before elective surgery proceeds.
A patient in the PACU has respiratory rate of 6 breaths/min, shallow respirations, miosis, and somnolence following spinal surgery with intraoperative morphine. What is the first-line treatment?
Answer: Naloxone 0.04–0.4 mg IV titrated
The clinical picture represents opioid-induced respiratory depression; titrated naloxone reverses mu-opioid receptor effects while minimizing acute pain and hemodynamic rebound.
During a preoperative assessment, a patient states she takes St. John's Wort daily. Which anesthesia-related concern does this herbal supplement raise?
Answer: Induction of cytochrome P450 enzymes, reducing efficacy of some anesthetic drugs
St. John's Wort is a potent CYP3A4 inducer that can accelerate metabolism of many drugs used in anesthesia, including opioids and benzodiazepines, reducing their effectiveness.
Which is the most reliable sign of inadequate reversal of neuromuscular blockade in the PACU?
Answer: Train-of-four ratio less than 0.9 on quantitative monitoring
A train-of-four ratio less than 0.9 on quantitative neuromuscular monitoring objectively confirms residual blockade before the patient can maintain adequate ventilation reliably.
An obese patient (BMI 45) undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery is placed in steep Trendelenburg. Which intraoperative respiratory change should the anesthesia assistant anticipate?
Answer: Decreased lung compliance and higher airway pressures
In obese patients in Trendelenburg, abdominal contents shift cephalad compressing the diaphragm, decreasing lung compliance and necessitating higher airway pressures to maintain adequate tidal volumes.
Which postoperative temperature threshold defines hypothermia requiring active warming in the PACU?
Answer: Less than 36°C (96.8°F)
A core temperature below 36°C is the clinical threshold for postoperative hypothermia requiring active warming to prevent shivering, coagulopathy, and delayed emergence.
A patient with a known latex allergy is scheduled for surgery. What is the most important perioperative precaution the anesthesia assistant must coordinate?
Answer: Ensure a latex-free environment in the OR and prepare epinephrine for potential anaphylaxis
Creating a latex-free OR environment eliminates the trigger, while having epinephrine immediately available addresses the risk of severe anaphylaxis if accidental latex exposure occurs.