Risk Management & Mitigation 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.
Read the first 7 Risk Management & Mitigation flashcards as text
Which strategy is MOST effective in preventing intraoperative awareness under general anesthesia?
Answer: Using processed EEG monitoring in combination with age-adjusted MAC targets and vigilance
Combining processed EEG monitoring with MAC-based targets and clinical vigilance is the most effective multimodal strategy for preventing intraoperative awareness.
A patient is found to have an undiagnosed pheochromocytoma during an elective cholecystectomy. The MOST dangerous immediate anesthetic risk is:
Answer: Hypertensive crisis and cardiovascular instability during tumor manipulation
Manipulation of an undiagnosed pheochromocytoma can cause life-threatening hypertensive crisis and arrhythmias due to massive catecholamine release.
Which factor MOST increases the risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in elderly surgical patients?
Answer: Preexisting cognitive impairment and prolonged deep anesthesia
Preexisting cognitive impairment combined with prolonged deep anesthesia (low BIS values) is a major risk factor for POCD in elderly patients.
In the context of anesthesia risk management, what does the 'Swiss cheese model' describe?
Answer: Multiple layered defenses each with gaps; harm occurs when gaps align across all layers
Reason's Swiss cheese model illustrates that adverse events occur when gaps (latent failures) in multiple protective barriers align, allowing a hazard to reach the patient.
A patient on chronic opioid therapy for chronic pain presents for surgery. What risk does this present for intraoperative anesthesia management?
Answer: Opioid tolerance requiring higher intraoperative doses and careful multimodal pain planning
Chronic opioid use causes tolerance, requiring higher intraoperative opioid doses and a multimodal pain management plan to achieve adequate analgesia.
During emergence from anesthesia, a patient develops laryngospasm. What is the CORRECT initial management?
Answer: Apply continuous positive airway pressure with 100% O2 and perform the laryngospasm notch maneuver
Initial laryngospasm management involves CPAP with 100% O2 and digital pressure at the laryngospasm notch (Larson's maneuver); succinylcholine is reserved for complete laryngospasm.
Which quality improvement methodology uses a cyclical 'Plan-Do-Study-Act' framework to improve anesthesia safety processes?
Answer: Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle
The PDSA cycle is a continuous quality improvement model where interventions are planned, implemented, evaluated, and refined in iterative cycles to improve safety processes.