Patient Care, Safety & Medical Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real CVT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Care, Safety & Medical Ethics flashcards as text
A patient undergoing cardiac catheterization develops hives and hypotension after contrast injection. This presentation is MOST consistent with:
Answer: Anaphylactic reaction
Hives combined with hypotension after contrast administration are hallmark signs of an anaphylactic reaction requiring immediate emergency response.
Which fall prevention strategy is MOST appropriate for a post-procedural cardiac catheterization patient?
Answer: Keep bed rails up, call light within reach, and assist with ambulation
Post-catheterization patients are at high fall risk due to sedation and arterial access site precautions; side rails, call lights, and assisted ambulation are standard safety measures.
When a CVT technologist makes a documentation error in the electronic health record, the correct action is to:
Answer: Draw a single line through the error, initial, date, and add a correction
Proper error correction in medical records requires noting the error, initialing, dating, and adding the correct information rather than deleting or concealing it.
A 16-year-old patient presents for an elective echocardiogram without a parent present. Regarding consent, the CVT should:
Answer: Defer the elective procedure and contact the parent or guardian for consent
Minors generally cannot provide independent informed consent for elective procedures; a parent or legal guardian must authorize the study.
Which of the following BEST describes the concept of nonmaleficence in the context of cardiovascular technology?
Answer: Avoiding unnecessary radiation exposure or contrast when not clinically indicated
Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm,' applied in CVT by minimizing unnecessary exposure to radiation, contrast, or invasive procedures.
An unconscious patient arrives in the cardiac catheterization lab without an advance directive and requires emergency intervention. The ethical course of action is to:
Answer: Proceed with life-saving treatment under implied consent
Implied consent permits emergency life-saving treatment when a patient cannot provide explicit consent and no advance directive exists.
A CVT technologist notices a patient's IV access site is red, swollen, and warm. This finding is MOST consistent with:
Answer: Phlebitis or IV infiltration requiring intervention
Erythema, swelling, and warmth at an IV site are classic signs of phlebitis or infiltration, requiring discontinuation of the IV and reporting to nursing staff.