FREE CMSRN Anesthetist Questions and Answers Flashcards
6 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 6 FREE CMSRN Anesthetist Questions and Answers flashcards as text
A nurse is caring for a patient who received a brachial plexus nerve block. Which finding requires immediate notification of the anesthesia provider?
Answer: Progressive dyspnea and decreased breath sounds on the ipsilateral side
Progressive dyspnea with decreased ipsilateral breath sounds after brachial plexus block suggests pneumothorax or phrenic nerve paralysis, requiring urgent evaluation.
Which medication is the definitive treatment for malignant hyperthermia and should be immediately available in the medical-surgical unit?
Answer: Dantrolene sodium
Dantrolene sodium is the only specific pharmacological treatment for malignant hyperthermia, acting by inhibiting calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
A postoperative patient who received neuraxial anesthesia reports a severe headache that worsens when sitting upright. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Post-dural puncture headache from CSF leakage
Post-dural puncture headache results from CSF leakage through the dural puncture site, causing intracranial hypotension that worsens with upright positioning.
Which reversal agent should the medical-surgical nurse have available when moderate sedation with midazolam is administered?
Answer: Flumazenil
Flumazenil is a competitive benzodiazepine antagonist that reverses the sedative effects of midazolam.
A patient develops laryngospasm immediately after extubation. What is the priority nursing intervention?
Answer: Apply positive pressure ventilation with jaw thrust and notify the anesthesia team
Positive pressure ventilation with jaw thrust can break laryngospasm by forcing the vocal cords open, while the anesthesia team prepares for possible reintubation or succinylcholine administration.
A nurse is assessing a patient 30 minutes after receiving local anesthesia with lidocaine and epinephrine. The patient reports perioral numbness, tinnitus, and dizziness. What complication should the nurse suspect?
Answer: Local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST)
Perioral numbness, tinnitus, and dizziness are classic early CNS signs of local anesthetic systemic toxicity from inadvertent intravascular absorption of lidocaine.