Post-Surgical Patient Care Flashcards
7 cards from real CBC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Post-Surgical Patient Care flashcards as text
A patient 18 months post-bypass presents with rapid weight regain and reports grazing on snack foods all day. Which counseling strategy is most appropriate?
Answer: Reestablish structured meal planning with self-monitoring and identify grazing triggers
Grazing is a leading behavioral cause of regain, and structured meals with self-monitoring directly targets the pattern.
Which contraceptive counseling point is essential for women of childbearing age after bariatric surgery?
Answer: Pregnancy should be avoided for about 12-18 months during rapid weight loss
Guidelines advise delaying pregnancy 12-18 months because rapid weight loss and nutritional deficits can harm fetal development, and fertility often improves after surgery.
A post-surgical patient reports right upper quadrant pain after fatty meals during rapid weight loss. This most likely indicates:
Answer: Gallstone formation
Rapid weight loss significantly increases gallstone formation, which classically causes right upper quadrant pain after fatty meals.
Which medication class should post-bypass patients generally avoid due to marginal ulcer risk?
Answer: NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen
NSAIDs greatly increase the risk of marginal ulcers at the gastrojejunal anastomosis and should be avoided after gastric bypass.
A patient 2 years post-op scores high on depression screening and admits to transferring compulsive eating to online shopping. This pattern is often called:
Answer: Addiction transfer or cross-addiction
Addiction transfer describes replacing compulsive eating with another compulsive behavior such as shopping, gambling, or substance use after surgery.
Why should calcium supplements be taken as calcium citrate in divided doses after gastric bypass?
Answer: Citrate absorbs without stomach acid, and the body absorbs only about 500-600 mg at a time
Calcium citrate does not require gastric acid for absorption, and doses above roughly 500-600 mg saturate absorption capacity, so split dosing is advised.
During a follow-up, a patient asks when hair shedding after surgery will likely stop. The best evidence-based response is:
Answer: Telogen effluvium is usually temporary and resolves within about 6-12 months with adequate protein and nutrients
Post-surgical hair loss is typically telogen effluvium triggered by rapid weight loss and usually resolves within 6-12 months when nutrition is adequate.