CABT Medical Equipment Operations 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary function of a cell saver (autotransfusion device) during surgery?
- To warm IV fluids to body temperature before infusion
- To collect, wash, and reinfuse the patient's own shed blood (Correct answer)
- To monitor real-time hemoglobin levels via pulse oximetry
- To pump blood during cardiopulmonary bypass
Correct answer: To collect, wash, and reinfuse the patient's own shed blood
A cell saver collects blood lost during surgery, processes it by centrifugation and washing, then returns the patient's own red blood cells, reducing allogeneic transfusion requirements.
Question 2: Which parameter does a capnograph (EtCO2 monitor) measure?
- Inspired oxygen concentration
- Carbon dioxide concentration in exhaled breath (Correct answer)
- Blood oxygen partial pressure
- Airway resistance during exhalation
Correct answer: Carbon dioxide concentration in exhaled breath
A capnograph measures end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2), the concentration of carbon dioxide in exhaled air, providing a non-invasive indicator of ventilation adequacy and metabolic status.
Question 3: A hospital-grade power strip designated for patient care areas must have which feature that standard power strips lack?
- USB charging ports
- Hospital-grade plugs and receptacles with higher retention force and safety ratings (Correct answer)
- A built-in surge protector with LED indicator
- Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring
Correct answer: Hospital-grade plugs and receptacles with higher retention force and safety ratings
Hospital-grade power strips must use hospital-grade outlets and plugs that meet UL 1363A standards, providing superior retention force, grounding reliability, and patient safety compliance.
Question 4: In a physiologic monitoring system, what is a 'zeroing' procedure used for?
- Resetting the alarm limits to factory defaults
- Establishing the atmospheric pressure as the baseline reference for invasive pressure measurements (Correct answer)
- Calibrating the oxygen sensor to room air
- Clearing all stored waveform data from memory
Correct answer: Establishing the atmospheric pressure as the baseline reference for invasive pressure measurements
Zeroing an invasive pressure transducer exposes it to atmospheric pressure and sets that as the zero reference point, ensuring all subsequent pressure measurements are accurate relative to atmosphere.
Question 5: What potential hazard is associated with using a cellular phone near certain implanted cardiac devices?
- Thermal burns from RF energy absorption
- Electromagnetic interference (EMI) potentially inhibiting pacemaker output (Correct answer)
- Ultrasonic damage to the device housing
- Accidental activation of remote device programming
Correct answer: Electromagnetic interference (EMI) potentially inhibiting pacemaker output
Although modern pacemakers have improved shielding, cellular phone RF signals can potentially cause electromagnetic interference that inhibits pacemaker output in some susceptible devices.
Question 6: Which law in the United States regulates the sale and use of radiation-emitting electronic products including medical X-ray equipment?
- The Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act (RCHSA) (Correct answer)
- The Medical Device Amendments Act of 1976
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
- The Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA)
Correct answer: The Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act (RCHSA)
The Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act (RCHSA) authorizes the FDA to set and enforce performance standards for radiation-emitting electronic products, including X-ray equipment.
Question 7: A technician notices that the waveform on a bedside monitor has 'overdamping.' What does this indicate about the hemodynamic monitoring system?
- The system amplifier gain is set too high
- Air bubbles, clots, or excessive tubing length are attenuating pressure signal transmission (Correct answer)
- The patient's blood pressure is critically elevated
- The transducer is positioned above the patient's phlebostatic axis
Correct answer: Air bubbles, clots, or excessive tubing length are attenuating pressure signal transmission
Overdamping in an arterial line waveform is caused by factors like air bubbles, blood clots, compliant tubing, or excessive line length that dampen the pressure wave transmission.
CABT Medical Equipment Operations 5
What is the primary function of a cell saver (autotransfusion device) during surgery?