CAA Equipment & Technology in Anesthesia Flashcards

Which monitoring modality provides a continuous waveform that is considered the GOLD STANDARD for confirming endotracheal tube placement in the airway?

Answer: End-tidal CO2 capnography

Continuous capnography showing a persistent CO2 waveform is the gold standard for confirming correct endotracheal intubation, as it detects esophageal intubation immediately.

A train-of-four (TOF) ratio of 0.9 or greater indicates:

Answer: Adequate recovery of neuromuscular function for extubation

A TOF ratio ≥0.9 indicates adequate recovery of neuromuscular function and is a criterion for safe extubation without risk of residual paralysis.

The bispectral index (BIS) monitor measures what parameter to guide anesthetic depth?

Answer: Processed EEG activity correlating with level of consciousness

BIS analyzes the processed EEG to produce a dimensionless number (0–100) correlating with depth of anesthesia; values of 40–60 indicate general anesthesia.

ST-segment analysis on an intraoperative ECG monitor is most useful for detecting:

Answer: Myocardial ischemia

ST-segment elevation or depression on continuous ECG monitoring is the primary intraoperative indicator of myocardial ischemia or injury.

Which noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) cuff size error would cause a falsely HIGH reading?

Answer: Cuff too narrow for the arm

A cuff that is too narrow relative to arm circumference overestimates blood pressure because higher pressure is needed to occlude arterial flow.

Pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP/PCWP) measured via a pulmonary artery catheter most accurately reflects:

Answer: Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP)

When the balloon is inflated to occlude the pulmonary artery, PAOP reflects left atrial pressure and approximates LVEDP, indicating left ventricular preload.