Perioperative Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Perioperative Assessment flashcards as text
In the immediate postoperative period, a patient exhibits confusion, tachycardia, and diaphoresis. The first assistant should first consider:
Answer: All of the above — a systematic assessment is required
Postoperative agitation has multiple potential causes including hypoglycemia, hypoxia, pain, and emergence delirium, requiring systematic assessment before treatment.
A patient who had a major abdominal resection develops fever of 38.8°C on postoperative day 1. The MOST common cause at this early stage is:
Answer: Atelectasis and pulmonary inflammation
Fever within the first 24–48 hours postoperatively is most commonly caused by atelectasis, not infection, as bacterial infections typically manifest later.
When assessing a postoperative patient's wound, which finding would indicate evisceration rather than dehiscence?
Answer: Protrusion of abdominal contents through the incision
Evisceration is defined by protrusion of abdominal viscera through the wound opening and is a surgical emergency requiring immediate intervention.
A patient 6 hours post-thyroidectomy develops stridor and neck swelling. The first assistant should recognize this as:
Answer: Hematoma causing airway compression — a surgical emergency
Post-thyroidectomy stridor with neck swelling indicates a hematoma compressing the trachea, which is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate wound opening.
Which postoperative vital sign trend is MOST suggestive of internal hemorrhage following a major abdominal procedure?
Answer: Progressive tachycardia with declining blood pressure
Progressive tachycardia followed by hypotension is the classic hemodynamic pattern of ongoing hemorrhage as the body compensates with increased heart rate before pressure falls.
A postoperative patient reports calf pain and swelling on day 3 after pelvic surgery. The most appropriate initial assessment is:
Answer: Assess for Homan's sign, unilateral edema, warmth, and order duplex ultrasound
Clinical assessment combined with duplex ultrasound is the appropriate approach to evaluate for DVT; Homan's sign alone has poor sensitivity and specificity.
When assessing postoperative ileus in a patient who had bowel resection, which clinical finding indicates return of bowel function?
Answer: Passage of flatus and return of bowel sounds
Return of flatus and audible bowel sounds are the primary clinical indicators of resolution of postoperative ileus and return of GI motility.