ABA Best Practices & Standard Procedures 3

Question 1

Per ASA best practices, which action should be taken FIRST when unexpected intraoperative hypotension occurs?

Accepted Answer

Assess the patient, verify monitoring, and identify the cause

Answer

Systematic assessment of the patient and identification of the underlying cause (hypovolemia, cardiac dysfunction, vasodilation, etc.) should precede empiric treatment of intraoperative hypotension.

Question 2

The ASA recommends that a qualified anesthesia provider be physically present in the operating room throughout which type of anesthetic?

Accepted Answer

All general, regional, and monitored anesthesia care

Answer

ASA Standard I requires a qualified anesthesia provider to be present in the room throughout the conduct of all general anesthetics, regional anesthetics, and monitored anesthesia care.

Question 3

Which of the following is a component of the 'Universal Protocol' established by The Joint Commission to prevent wrong-site surgery?

Accepted Answer

Surgical site marking before the procedure

Answer

The Universal Protocol's three elements are pre-procedure verification, surgical site marking, and a 'time-out' immediately before the procedure; site marking is a core component.

Question 4

According to ASA guidelines on regional anesthesia, which condition most increases the risk of epidural hematoma formation?

Accepted Answer

Therapeutic anticoagulation with heparin

Answer

Therapeutic-dose anticoagulation with heparin significantly elevates bleeding risk in the epidural space, requiring specific timing intervals per ASRA guidelines before neuraxial procedures.

Question 5

The ASA practice advisory on preanesthesia evaluation recommends that the history and physical examination be completed:

Accepted Answer

Within a timeframe appropriate to the patient's condition and procedure

Answer

The ASA advisory specifies that the timing of the preanesthesia evaluation should be individualized based on patient health status, procedure complexity, and setting rather than a fixed interval.

(ABA) ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) Board Certification Practice Test

(ABA) ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) Board Certification Practice Test

ABA Best Practices & Standard Procedures 3