Immediate Postoperative Care Flashcards
7 cards from real CCTC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Immediate Postoperative Care flashcards as text
Which laboratory value is the most sensitive early marker for hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplant?
Answer: Liver transaminases (AST/ALT)
Transaminases (AST/ALT) rise rapidly and dramatically with hepatic artery thrombosis due to acute hepatocellular ischemia.
A renal transplant patient in the immediate postoperative period develops oliguria with a rising creatinine. Doppler ultrasound shows normal arterial and venous flow. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Delayed graft function (DGF)
Delayed graft function is the most common cause of oliguria with normal blood flow after kidney transplant, typically resulting from ischemia-reperfusion injury.
What is the primary purpose of maintaining a strict fluid balance record in the immediate post-transplant period?
Answer: To guide fluid resuscitation and detect third-spacing or hemorrhage
Precise fluid balance monitoring guides resuscitation and helps detect hemorrhage, third-spacing, or inadequate organ perfusion early.
Which post-transplant complication is best detected by Doppler ultrasound in the immediate postoperative period?
Answer: Vascular thrombosis of graft vessels
Doppler ultrasound is the first-line imaging study to evaluate vascular complications such as arterial or venous thrombosis in the transplanted organ.
A post-liver transplant patient develops confusion and asterixis on postoperative day 2 despite a functioning graft. What metabolic complication should be suspected?
Answer: Hyperammonemia
Residual hyperammonemia from the pretransplant liver disease can persist postoperatively and cause encephalopathy even with a functioning graft.
In the immediate post-heart transplant period, which hemodynamic parameter is most closely monitored to assess right ventricular function?
Answer: Central venous pressure (CVP) and pulmonary artery pressures
CVP and pulmonary artery pressures reflect right heart filling and function, which is critical as the RV is most vulnerable post-heart transplant.
Which wound complication is unique to kidney transplant recipients compared to other solid organ transplants?
Answer: Lymphocele formation
Lymphocele is a complication specific to kidney transplant due to disruption of lymphatic channels around the iliac vessels during implantation.