Patient Assessment and Evaluation 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 Patient Assessment and Evaluation flashcards as text
A 68-year-old patient with severe aortic stenosis is scheduled for elective hip replacement. Which hemodynamic parameter is most critical to maintain intraoperatively?
Answer: Low heart rate and high preload
Severe aortic stenosis requires maintaining a slow, regular heart rate and adequate preload to optimize stroke volume across the fixed obstruction.
Which laboratory finding in a preoperative patient most strongly indicates the need to postpone elective surgery?
Answer: Serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L
A serum potassium below 3.0 mEq/L significantly increases the risk of perioperative dysrhythmias and warrants correction before elective procedures.
During preanesthetic evaluation, a patient reports taking clopidogrel for a coronary stent placed 4 months ago. The surgeon wants to proceed with elective colectomy. What is the most appropriate recommendation?
Answer: Defer surgery until at least 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy is completed
Drug-eluting stents require at least 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy to prevent in-stent thrombosis; elective non-cardiac surgery should be deferred until this window is complete.
A patient with a BMI of 42 kg/m² presents for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Which airway assessment finding most increases the risk of difficult mask ventilation?
Answer: Presence of a beard
A beard is one of the five MOANS predictors of difficult mask ventilation because it prevents an adequate seal between the mask and the face.
Which preoperative pulmonary function test result in a patient scheduled for pneumonectomy predicts the highest risk of postoperative respiratory failure?
Answer: Predicted postoperative FEV1 less than 40%
A predicted postoperative FEV1 (ppoFEV1) less than 40% is the threshold associated with high risk of respiratory failure and mortality after pneumonectomy.
A patient scheduled for elective surgery is found to have a blood pressure of 178/108 mmHg at the preoperative clinic. He has no end-organ damage. What is the most appropriate action?
Answer: Proceed with surgery; mild-to-moderate hypertension does not increase perioperative risk significantly
Stage 2 hypertension without evidence of end-organ damage does not independently warrant cancellation; the decision to proceed should balance surgical urgency against suboptimal control.
When assessing a patient with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) preoperatively, which finding is most associated with severe disease and impacts anesthetic planning the most?
Answer: AHI > 30 events/hour with daytime hypoxemia
Severe OSA defined by AHI > 30 with daytime hypoxemia indicates significant ventilatory compromise and substantially increases perioperative respiratory risk.