AORN AORN Medication Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the perioperative nurse's responsibility regarding medication allergies before a case?
- Verify and document the patient's allergy history and communicate known allergies to the entire team during the time-out (Correct answer)
- Allergies are the sole responsibility of the anesthesia provider
- Check allergies only if the patient reports a reaction during surgery
- Review allergies only for high-alert medications
Correct answer: Verify and document the patient's allergy history and communicate known allergies to the entire team during the time-out
The perioperative nurse must verify, document, and communicate all known allergies during the pre-procedure verification and time-out so every team member is aware.
Question 2: How are medications stored in the OR to maintain safety and integrity?
- Medications are stored in a secure, temperature-controlled area separate from other supplies, with controlled substances locked (Correct answer)
- Medications can be stored anywhere in the OR suite for convenience
- Controlled substances do not require locking if a nurse is present
- All medications may be stored at room temperature regardless of requirements
Correct answer: Medications are stored in a secure, temperature-controlled area separate from other supplies, with controlled substances locked
AORN standards require secure, temperature-appropriate storage for all medications and locked storage for controlled substances to prevent diversion and degradation.
Question 3: What action should the perioperative nurse take upon discovering a medication labeling error on the sterile field?
- Remove the mislabeled medication from the field immediately, discard it, and replace it with a correctly labeled item (Correct answer)
- Relabel the container and continue using the medication
- Inform the surgeon but continue using the medication
- Document the error only at the end of the case
Correct answer: Remove the mislabeled medication from the field immediately, discard it, and replace it with a correctly labeled item
A mislabeled medication is a safety hazard and must be removed and discarded immediately; it should never be relabeled and reused because the contents cannot be verified.
Question 4: What is a 'medication reconciliation' in the perioperative context?
- Comparing a patient's current medication list with planned perioperative medications to identify interactions or omissions (Correct answer)
- Counting controlled substances at shift change
- Verifying that all medications are returned to the pharmacy
- Documenting all drugs used during a procedure in the charge sheet
Correct answer: Comparing a patient's current medication list with planned perioperative medications to identify interactions or omissions
Perioperative medication reconciliation involves cross-checking the patient's ongoing medications against perioperative drugs to prevent harmful interactions, duplications, or missed doses.
Question 5: Which practice helps prevent wrong-route medication errors in the perioperative setting?
- Using tubing and connections that are route-specific and cannot be misconnected (e.g., enteral vs. IV connectors) (Correct answer)
- Labeling syringes only after administration
- Storing all medication types in the same location
- Relying on verbal orders without written confirmation
Correct answer: Using tubing and connections that are route-specific and cannot be misconnected (e.g., enteral vs. IV connectors)
Route-specific connectors (ISO 80369 standards) physically prevent misconnection between enteral, IV, and epidural lines, eliminating a common class of wrong-route errors.
Question 6: What does the term 'look-alike, sound-alike' (LASA) refer to in medication safety?
- Drugs with similar names or packaging that are frequently confused with one another (Correct answer)
- Medications that have the same mechanism of action
- Generic drugs that look like brand-name drugs
- Medications stored in identical containers for convenience
Correct answer: Drugs with similar names or packaging that are frequently confused with one another
LASA medications share visual or phonetic similarities that make them prone to mix-ups; AORN recommends separating LASA drugs physically and using tall-man lettering to distinguish them.
AORN AORN Medication Safety 2
What is the perioperative nurse's responsibility regarding medication allergies before a case?