Anesthetist Flashcards
7 cards from real CMSRN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Anesthetist flashcards as text
A patient receiving general anesthesia develops sudden onset masseter muscle rigidity after succinylcholine administration. Which condition should the nurse immediately suspect?
Answer: Malignant hyperthermia
Masseter muscle rigidity following succinylcholine is a classic early warning sign of malignant hyperthermia, a life-threatening hypermetabolic crisis.
Which reversal agent is used to antagonize non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents such as rocuronium?
Answer: Sugammadex
Sugammadex is a selective relaxant binding agent that directly encapsulates rocuronium and vecuronium, providing rapid and complete reversal.
A patient in the PACU has a respiratory rate of 6 breaths/min and is unresponsive 30 minutes after receiving fentanyl. What is the priority nursing intervention?
Answer: Administer naloxone IV
Naloxone rapidly reverses opioid-induced respiratory depression and is the first-line pharmacological intervention in this scenario.
Which intraoperative finding is MOST consistent with an air embolism during surgery?
Answer: Decreased end-tidal CO2 with hypotension
Air embolism causes a sudden decrease in end-tidal CO2 due to increased dead space, accompanied by cardiovascular collapse and hypotension.
A nurse is assisting with a regional nerve block. The patient suddenly reports ringing in the ears, metallic taste, and perioral numbness. These signs indicate:
Answer: Local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST)
Tinnitus, metallic taste, and perioral numbness are classic early CNS signs of local anesthetic systemic toxicity from intravascular injection or rapid absorption.
During spinal anesthesia, a patient's blood pressure drops from 130/80 to 75/40 mmHg. Which intervention should the nurse anticipate FIRST?
Answer: Administer ephedrine or phenylephrine and IV fluid bolus
Hypotension following spinal anesthesia results from sympathetic blockade; vasopressors (ephedrine or phenylephrine) combined with IV fluids are the first-line treatment.
Which patient factor MOST increases the risk of difficult intubation and should be documented in the pre-anesthetic assessment?
Answer: Mallampati class IV airway
Mallampati class IV indicates minimal oropharyngeal visibility, which strongly correlates with difficult laryngoscopy and intubation.