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 sleeve gastrectomy patient reports left shoulder pain, hiccups, and fever on postoperative day 3. Which complication should the nurse suspect first?
Answer: Staple-line leak with diaphragmatic irritation
Referred left shoulder pain with fever after sleeve gastrectomy suggests a staple-line leak irritating the diaphragm and requires urgent evaluation.
Which staffing practice best mitigates safe-patient-handling injury risk on a bariatric surgical unit?
Answer: Implementing a lift team and mandatory mechanical lift use policies
Lift teams and mandatory mechanical lift policies reduce musculoskeletal injuries for staff and falls or skin injuries for patients.
A patient 2 weeks after gastric bypass presents with confusion, ataxia, and nystagmus following persistent vomiting. Which preventable risk has likely materialized?
Answer: Wernicke encephalopathy from thiamine deficiency
Persistent vomiting after bariatric surgery can rapidly deplete thiamine, and the triad of confusion, ataxia, and nystagmus signals Wernicke encephalopathy.
Which documentation practice most strengthens legal risk protection when a bariatric patient declines recommended follow-up care?
Answer: Documenting the specific education provided, the patient's stated reason for refusal, and notification of the provider
Objective documentation of education, the patient's informed refusal, and provider notification demonstrates the standard of care was met.
What is the most appropriate mitigation when a preoperative bariatric patient screens positive for high-risk alcohol use?
Answer: Refer for evaluation and treatment before surgery, as alcohol use disorder risk increases after bypass
Preoperative referral is critical because gastric bypass alters alcohol metabolism and increases the risk of postoperative alcohol use disorder.
Which perioperative positioning measure reduces the risk of rhabdomyolysis in patients with a BMI over 50?
Answer: Extra padding over pressure points and minimizing operative time
Prolonged pressure on muscle in patients with severe obesity can cause rhabdomyolysis, so padding and shorter operative times are key preventive measures.
A nurse notices dark tea-colored urine and an elevated creatine kinase in a post-op patient with BMI 55. What is the priority risk-mitigation action?
Answer: Notify the provider and anticipate aggressive IV hydration to protect the kidneys
These findings suggest rhabdomyolysis, and aggressive hydration is needed to prevent myoglobin-induced acute kidney injury.