CAA Anesthesia Techniques & Airway Management Flashcards

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

Answer: Dextrose 8%

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).

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

Answer: T4

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

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

Answer: Respiratory arrest and profound hypotension from cephalad spread of spinal block

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

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

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

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.

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

Answer: Intravascular catheter placement

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

Brachial plexus nerve blocks performed at the interscalene level are MOST appropriate for surgery on the:

Answer: Shoulder and proximal humerus

Interscalene blocks target the C5–C7 nerve roots of the brachial plexus at the level of the neck, providing excellent anesthesia for shoulder and proximal arm surgery.