CAA CAA Anesthesia Techniques & Airway Management 2

Question 1

For a spinal anesthetic, hyperbaric bupivacaine is prepared by mixing bupivacaine with:

Accepted Answer

Dextrose 8%

Answer

Hyperbaric bupivacaine is mixed with 8% dextrose, making it denser than CSF so it spreads dependent to patient positioning (e.g., toward the sacrum in a sitting patient).

Question 2

Which dermatome level of spinal block is needed for a Cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia?

Accepted Answer

T4

Answer

A T4 sensory level (nipple line) is required for Cesarean section to cover peritoneal traction and uterine manipulation without patient discomfort.

Question 3

Total spinal anesthesia is a life-threatening complication characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Respiratory arrest and profound hypotension from cephalad spread of spinal block

Answer

Total spinal occurs when local anesthetic spreads cephalad to the cervical cord and brainstem, causing apnea, loss of consciousness, and cardiovascular collapse.

Question 4

During an epidural technique, the loss-of-resistance (LOR) method identifies the epidural space by:

Accepted Answer

Feeling a 'pop' as the needle passes through the ligamentum flavum and resistance to saline injection suddenly disappears

Answer

Loss of resistance occurs as the epidural needle tip exits the dense ligamentum flavum into the negative-pressure epidural space, allowing free injection of saline or air.

Question 5

The test dose for an epidural catheter contains epinephrine 15 mcg to detect:

Accepted Answer

Intravascular catheter placement

Answer

Intravascular injection of epinephrine 15 mcg causes a transient heart rate increase of ≥20 bpm within 1 minute, indicating inadvertent IV catheter placement.

(CAA) Certified Anesthesia Assistant Practice Test

(CAA) Certified Anesthesia Assistant Practice Test

CAA CAA Anesthesia Techniques & Airway Management 2