Hyperbaric Equipment Operation & Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real CHS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Hyperbaric Equipment Operation & Safety flashcards as text
When performing a pre-treatment electrical safety check on a monoplace chamber, which item is most critical to verify?
Answer: All electrical equipment inside the chamber is rated for oxygen-enriched environments
Inside a monoplace chamber, the atmosphere can approach 100% oxygen, so all electrical devices must be rated for oxygen-enriched environments to prevent ignition.
A patient exhibits muscle twitching and facial grimacing at 2.4 ATA during 100% oxygen breathing. The operator should FIRST:
Answer: Switch the patient to air and begin emergency ascent protocol
These are classic prodromal signs of CNS oxygen toxicity; the immediate response is to remove the oxygen source and decompress according to the emergency protocol.
The CO2 scrubber in a multiplace hyperbaric chamber using soda lime must be changed based on which primary indicator?
Answer: Color change of the soda lime indicator dye or CO2 monitor alarm threshold
Soda lime exhaustion is best detected by the color-change indicator dye or by CO2 monitoring, as time-based schedules alone may not account for varying patient loads.
What is the maximum allowable oxygen percentage in the ambient atmosphere of a multiplace chamber per NFPA 99?
Answer: 23.5%
NFPA 99 specifies that the ambient oxygen concentration in a multiplace chamber must not exceed 23.5% to minimize fire hazard.
Which document must be completed before every hyperbaric treatment session to verify equipment readiness?
Answer: Pre-treatment equipment checklist
A pre-treatment equipment checklist confirms that all chamber systems, safety devices, and emergency equipment are functional before each session.
During pressurization, a patient signals ear pain at 1.3 ATA. The correct operator response is to:
Answer: Stop compression immediately and ascend slightly to relieve pressure
Ear pain during descent indicates middle ear barotrauma; the standard response is to halt compression and decompress slightly to allow the patient to equalize.
The ASME PVHO-1 standard governs the design and construction of pressure vessels intended for:
Answer: Human occupancy under pressure
ASME PVHO-1 specifically applies to pressure vessels for human occupancy (PVHO), establishing design, materials, and testing requirements for hyperbaric chambers.