Preoperative Patient Preparation Flashcards

Which consent principle requires that a patient be informed of the risks, benefits, and alternatives before agreeing to surgery?

Answer: Informed consent

Informed consent requires disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives so the patient can make a voluntary, educated decision.

A patient taking warfarin is scheduled for elective surgery. What is the most critical preoperative concern?

Answer: Risk of uncontrolled bleeding

Warfarin is an anticoagulant that increases bleeding risk, requiring careful bridging or reversal protocols before surgery.

The NPO (nil per os) guideline for clear liquids before elective surgery in adults is typically:

Answer: 2 hours

ASA guidelines recommend NPO for clear liquids at least 2 hours before elective procedures to reduce aspiration risk.

Which preoperative lab value most directly assesses renal function before administering contrast dye?

Answer: Serum creatinine

Serum creatinine reflects glomerular filtration rate and is used to evaluate renal function before nephrotoxic contrast agents.

A patient reports a latex allergy during preoperative assessment. The FIRST action by the surgical first assistant should be:

Answer: Document and alert the entire surgical team to prepare a latex-free environment

Documenting and alerting the team allows preparation of a latex-free environment, the standard protocol for latex-allergic patients.

What is the primary purpose of performing a surgical site mark preoperatively?

Answer: To prevent wrong-site surgery

Surgical site marking is a Joint Commission Universal Protocol requirement to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-person surgery.

Which patient position increases the risk of venous air embolism during preoperative IV line placement in the neck region?

Answer: Sitting upright

The sitting upright position creates negative venous pressure in the neck, increasing the risk of air entering during central line placement.