Postoperative and Emergency Care Flashcards
7 cards from real CSFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Postoperative and Emergency Care flashcards as text
A patient in the PACU develops stridor and accessory muscle use 20 minutes after extubation. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Laryngospasm
Laryngospasm presents with high-pitched stridor and increased work of breathing and is a common postextubation complication in the PACU.
Which intervention is the FIRST priority when a patient develops malignant hyperthermia intraoperatively?
Answer: Discontinue triggering agents and administer dantrolene
Discontinuing triggering agents (volatile anesthetics, succinylcholine) and giving IV dantrolene are the immediate priorities in malignant hyperthermia management.
Postoperative oliguria is defined as urine output less than:
Answer: 0.5 mL/kg/hr
Oliguria is defined as urine output less than 0.5 mL/kg/hr and indicates potentially inadequate renal perfusion.
A patient's SpO2 drops to 88% in the PACU. After applying supplemental oxygen, the reading improves to 95%. What is the most appropriate next action?
Answer: Reassess the patient frequently and document the oxygen requirement
Response to supplemental oxygen is reassuring, but the patient must be closely monitored and the supplemental oxygen requirement documented before discharge.
Which of the following is a cardinal sign of compartment syndrome in a postoperative extremity?
Answer: Pain disproportionate to the injury that worsens with passive stretch
Pain out of proportion to the injury and pain on passive stretch are the earliest and most reliable signs of acute compartment syndrome.
During PACU recovery, a patient begins experiencing anginal chest pain with ST-segment elevation on the monitor. After activating the emergency response, what is the FIRST drug the PACU nurse should administer per protocol?
Answer: Aspirin 325 mg orally if not contraindicated
Aspirin is the first-line medication for suspected acute MI as it inhibits platelet aggregation and reduces mortality.
A patient who received general anesthesia is shivering intensely in the PACU. Which intervention is MOST effective at reducing postoperative shivering?
Answer: Administering meperidine 25 mg IV
Low-dose IV meperidine (pethidine) is the most effective pharmacologic treatment for postoperative shivering, acting on kappa and mu opioid receptors.