CAA Regional & Neuraxial Anesthesia Flashcards
6 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 6 CAA Regional & Neuraxial Anesthesia flashcards as text
Ultrasound guidance for peripheral nerve blocks primarily improves safety by allowing:
Answer: Real-time visualization of the needle, nerve, and surrounding structures to prevent intraneuronal injection
Ultrasound allows the CAA to visualize the needle tip in real time, reducing the risk of intraneural, intravascular, or inadvertent pleural injection.
An interscalene brachial plexus block is CONTRAINDICATED in patients with contralateral phrenic nerve palsy because:
Answer: It reliably blocks the ipsilateral phrenic nerve (C3–C5), reducing ipsilateral diaphragmatic function by ~100%
The phrenic nerve (C3–C5) runs close to the brachial plexus roots; interscalene block almost always causes ipsilateral hemidiaphragm paresis, which is dangerous in patients relying on the contralateral diaphragm.
Which nerve block provides excellent analgesia for knee replacement surgery by selectively blocking the femoral nerve while preserving quadriceps strength to allow early ambulation?
Answer: Adductor canal block (saphenous nerve block)
The adductor canal block targets the saphenous nerve (sensory) within the subsartorial canal, providing knee analgesia with minimal motor block to allow early mobilization.
Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block provides analgesia to which region of the body?
Answer: Anterior abdominal wall from T6 to L1 (skin, muscle, and parietal peritoneum)
TAP block deposits local anesthetic in the fascial plane between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles, blocking thoracolumbar nerves supplying the anterior abdominal wall.
Which sign on nerve stimulator-guided peripheral nerve block indicates the needle is too close to the nerve and intraneuronal placement is likely?
Answer: Muscle twitch persisting at <0.2 mA (low threshold stimulation)
A persistent motor response at currents below 0.2 mA suggests the needle tip may be within the nerve fascicle, risking intraneural injection and nerve damage.
A patient receiving a supraclavicular brachial plexus block develops sudden dyspnea and decreased breath sounds on the ipsilateral side. The most likely diagnosis is:
Answer: Pneumothorax
The apex of the lung lies close to the supraclavicular space; needle advancement can inadvertently puncture the pleura, causing a pneumothorax.