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CAA Perioperative Patient Care & Assessment Flashcards

7 cards from real CAA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A patient undergoing abdominal surgery develops sudden hypotension, tachycardia, and decreased end-tidal CO2 intraoperatively. Which diagnosis should be highest on the differential?

    Answer: Pulmonary embolism

    The triad of hypotension, tachycardia, and decreased ETCO2 (reflecting reduced pulmonary blood flow) is classic for pulmonary embolism during surgery.

  2. Which intraoperative fluid is considered the most appropriate initial resuscitation fluid for a patient with hemorrhagic shock?

    Answer: Lactated Ringer's solution

    Lactated Ringer's is an isotonic crystalloid that replenishes intravascular volume and is preferred over dextrose solutions for hemorrhagic shock resuscitation.

  3. When monitoring a patient in the prone position during spine surgery, which complication specific to this position must the anesthesia assistant continuously monitor for?

    Answer: Pressure on the eyes causing ischemic optic neuropathy or corneal abrasion

    Prone positioning increases intraocular pressure and can compress the eyes against headrests, causing corneal abrasion or ischemic optic neuropathy, a cause of postoperative blindness.

  4. What is the primary goal of a preoperative beta-blocker continuation strategy in a chronic beta-blocker user presenting for major noncardiac surgery?

    Answer: Prevent perioperative myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias

    Abrupt beta-blocker withdrawal increases catecholamine surges, raising the risk of perioperative myocardial ischemia and dangerous arrhythmias in chronic users.

  5. A post-surgical patient in the PACU complains of severe nausea and vomits twice. She received fentanyl and nitrous oxide during her 3-hour procedure. What is the MOST likely contributing factor?

    Answer: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) secondary to opioid and N2O exposure

    Opioids and nitrous oxide are well-established independent risk factors for PONV; the combination significantly increases incidence, especially in female patients after longer procedures.

  6. When performing a preoperative review of a pediatric patient's chart, which weight-based calculation is used to estimate the appropriate endotracheal tube (ETT) size for a child older than 2 years?

    Answer: (Age in years / 4) + 4

    The formula (Age/4) + 4 estimates uncuffed ETT internal diameter in millimeters for children older than 2 years and is the most widely cited pediatric guideline.

  7. Intraoperatively, the surgeon requests controlled hypotension to reduce blood loss during a total hip arthroplasty. What is the general target mean arterial pressure (MAP) during deliberate hypotension in a healthy adult?

    Answer: 50–65 mmHg

    A MAP of 50–65 mmHg is typically targeted during deliberate hypotension in healthy adults, balancing reduced surgical bleeding against adequate perfusion to vital organs.