Installation, Maintenance & Troubleshooting Flashcards
7 cards from real CABT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Installation, Maintenance & Troubleshooting flashcards as text
When troubleshooting an ECG machine that produces a wandering baseline, the most likely cause is:
Answer: Poor electrode-to-skin contact or patient movement
Wandering baseline on an ECG is most commonly caused by poor electrode contact, dry gel, patient movement, or respiration artifact.
What does the term 'macroshock' refer to in the context of biomedical safety?
Answer: A larger current applied externally to the body surface sufficient to cause fibrillation
Macroshock refers to a significant electrical current entering the body through external skin contact, requiring much higher current levels than microshock to cause ventricular fibrillation.
A pulse oximeter is reading SpO2 values of 85% on a patient who appears clinically well-oxygenated. Which factor is least likely to cause this discrepancy?
Answer: Patient's respiratory rate
Respiratory rate does not directly affect SpO2 readings; nail polish, poor perfusion, and ambient light are all known causes of inaccurate pulse oximeter readings.
During installation, the biomedical technician should ensure that an electrically powered medical device is connected to:
Answer: A hospital-grade grounded outlet meeting applicable standards
Medical devices must be connected to hospital-grade grounded outlets that meet NFPA 99 and UL standards to ensure patient and staff safety.
After replacing a fuse in a biomedical device, the new fuse blows immediately upon power-up. The technician should:
Answer: Investigate for a short circuit or overload condition before replacing the fuse again
An immediately blown replacement fuse indicates an underlying short circuit or overload condition that must be diagnosed and corrected before installing another fuse.
What is the correct procedure when disposing of a mercury-containing sphygmomanometer that is no longer in service?
Answer: Follow facility hazardous waste protocols for mercury disposal
Mercury is a hazardous material subject to EPA regulations; it must be disposed of through the facility's hazardous waste management program.
A surgical electrosurgical unit (ESU) causes burns at the dispersive electrode site. Which is the most likely cause?
Answer: Inadequate contact area or poor adhesion of the dispersive electrode
Burns at the dispersive (return) electrode site are most commonly caused by inadequate skin contact area or poor adhesion, increasing current density at that site.