Risk Management & Mitigation Flashcards
7 cards from real CBN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Risk Management & Mitigation flashcards as text
A post-op gastric bypass patient develops tachycardia above 120 bpm with normal blood pressure and mild abdominal discomfort on day 1. What is the most important risk this may signal?
Answer: Anastomotic leak
Sustained tachycardia over 120 bpm is often the earliest and sometimes only sign of anastomotic leak after bariatric surgery.
Which intervention best mitigates venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk in the immediate postoperative bariatric patient?
Answer: Early ambulation combined with chemoprophylaxis and sequential compression devices
Multimodal prophylaxis—early ambulation, pharmacologic anticoagulation, and mechanical compression—is the standard for VTE risk reduction in bariatric patients.
What is the primary rationale for using weight-based dosing verification protocols for anticoagulants in bariatric patients?
Answer: Standard fixed doses may be subtherapeutic in patients with severe obesity
Standard fixed anticoagulant doses may be inadequate in patients with severe obesity, so weight-based or adjusted dosing helps prevent VTE.
Which equipment-related action most directly reduces the risk of patient injury during transfer of a patient weighing 180 kg?
Answer: Verifying weight capacity of lifts, beds, and transfer devices before use
Confirming that all equipment is rated for the patient's weight prevents equipment failure and injury to both patient and staff.
A bariatric patient with obstructive sleep apnea refuses to use CPAP postoperatively. What is the nurse's best risk-mitigation response?
Answer: Educate on respiratory risk, increase monitoring with continuous pulse oximetry, and notify the provider
Untreated OSA increases postoperative respiratory depression risk, so education, enhanced monitoring, and provider notification are essential.
Which strategy best reduces medication administration errors related to altered drug absorption after gastric bypass?
Answer: Reviewing all medications and converting extended-release forms to immediate-release or liquid formulations when appropriate
Bypass anatomy impairs absorption of extended-release drugs, so formulation review and conversion reduces therapeutic failure and error risk.
In a root cause analysis after a bariatric patient fall, which finding represents a system-level risk factor rather than an individual error?
Answer: No bariatric-rated commodes were stocked on the unit
A lack of appropriately rated equipment on the unit is a system-level failure that requires organizational correction rather than individual remediation.