Emergency Response Procedures 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 Emergency Response Procedures flashcards as text
A patient under general anesthesia develops sudden bradycardia (HR 28 bpm) with hypotension. What is the FIRST drug to administer?
Answer: Atropine 0.5–1 mg IV
Atropine is the first-line agent for symptomatic bradycardia due to increased vagal tone, given as 0.5–1 mg IV.
During a difficult airway emergency, after two failed intubation attempts, the patient's SpO2 drops to 82%. What is the next best step per the ASA Difficult Airway Algorithm?
Answer: Proceed to emergency surgical airway
When oxygenation fails after multiple attempts, the ASA algorithm directs emergency surgical airway (cricothyrotomy) as the 'can't intubate, can't oxygenate' rescue.
A patient receiving neuraxial anesthesia develops a total spinal block. Which hemodynamic change is most immediately life-threatening?
Answer: Severe hypotension with bradycardia
Total spinal causes profound sympathectomy and vagal predominance, resulting in severe hypotension and bradycardia that can progress to cardiac arrest.
A pediatric patient (20 kg) in the OR develops laryngospasm with complete obstruction after extubation. Which intervention is most appropriate after positive-pressure oxygen fails?
Answer: Succinylcholine 4 mg/kg IM (80 mg)
When IV access is unavailable and CPAP fails in complete laryngospasm, succinylcholine 4 mg/kg IM (up to 150 mg) rapidly relieves the spasm.
Intraoperative TEE reveals a new large pericardial effusion with right ventricular diastolic collapse. What is the most appropriate immediate anesthetic management?
Answer: Avoid high-dose vasopressors; maintain heart rate and preload
Cardiac tamponade management focuses on maintaining heart rate, preload, and contractility while avoiding vasodilators; definitive treatment is pericardiocentesis.
During a liver transplant, the anesthesiologist notices signs of air embolism: mill-wheel murmur, sudden hypotension, and end-tidal CO2 drop. What position change is most helpful?
Answer: Trendelenburg with left lateral decubitus (Durant's maneuver)
Durant's maneuver (left lateral decubitus + Trendelenburg) traps air in the right ventricular apex away from the outflow tract, improving cardiac output.
A patient under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) develops respiratory depression with SpO2 of 85% following midazolam and fentanyl. The MOST immediate intervention is:
Answer: Apply jaw thrust and supplemental oxygen
Airway positioning and supplemental oxygen to restore oxygenation is always the first step before pharmacologic reversal in sedation-related respiratory depression.