Clinical Practice & Patient Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real ABA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Practice & Patient Safety flashcards as text
Which of the following is a CORRECT application of the Universal Protocol for preventing wrong-site surgery?
Answer: The time-out must include confirmation of patient identity, procedure, and site before incision
The Universal Protocol requires a time-out immediately before incision confirming correct patient identity, procedure, and operative site/side.
During induction of general anesthesia, an anesthesiologist administers 10 times the intended dose of fentanyl due to a look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) syringe error. Which system-level intervention BEST prevents this error class?
Answer: Color-coded, pre-labeled syringes organized by drug class with tall-man lettering
Standardized color-coded and labeled syringes with tall-man lettering are a proven system-level intervention that reduces LASA medication errors at the point of use.
A patient with known prolonged QT syndrome requires general anesthesia. Which agent should be AVOIDED to minimize the risk of Torsades de Pointes?
Answer: Ondansetron
Ondansetron prolongs the QT interval and should be avoided in patients with congenital or acquired long QT syndrome due to risk of Torsades de Pointes.
The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) recommends that postoperative opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) be detected using which monitoring strategy?
Answer: Continuous electronic monitoring of oxygenation AND ventilation in at-risk patients
APSF guidelines recommend continuous monitoring of both oxygenation (SpO2) and ventilation (capnography or respiratory rate) to reliably detect OIRD.
A patient develops intraoperative ST-segment depression in leads II and V5. Which action is MOST appropriate as the immediate first response?
Answer: Notify the surgeon, assess hemodynamics, ensure adequate oxygenation, and optimize perfusion pressure
Initial management of suspected intraoperative myocardial ischemia includes notifying the surgeon, assessing and correcting hemodynamics, ensuring oxygenation, and optimizing coronary perfusion pressure.
Which of the following is the MOST important factor in preventing perioperative peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) related to patient positioning?
Answer: Ensuring that joints are not placed at the extreme of their normal range of motion
Nerve stretch from extreme joint positioning is the most common mechanism of perioperative PNI; maintaining joints within their normal range of motion is the primary preventive strategy.
A hospital implements a rapid response team (RRT) system. Which outcome metric BEST demonstrates the effectiveness of RRT on patient safety?
Answer: Decrease in unplanned cardiopulmonary arrest events outside the ICU
The primary goal of RRT is early identification and intervention for deteriorating patients, with the key outcome metric being reduction in unexpected cardiac arrests outside critical care settings.