Patient Assessment & Evaluation 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 Patient Assessment & Evaluation flashcards as text
A patient with a history of spontaneous pneumothorax presents for HBO therapy. What is the most appropriate action?
Answer: Obtain physician clearance and consider prophylactic chest tube
Prior spontaneous pneumothorax is a relative contraindication requiring physician evaluation; prophylactic chest tube placement may be needed before HBO.
Which ear exam finding would most likely lead to postponement of HBO therapy?
Answer: Acute otitis media with effusion
Acute otitis media with effusion impairs Eustachian tube function and increases risk of tympanic membrane barotrauma during pressurization.
During the pre-treatment assessment, a patient reports taking bleomycin for cancer. This is significant because HBO may cause:
Answer: Pulmonary oxygen toxicity potentiation
Bleomycin sensitizes lung tissue to oxygen toxicity, making HBO a relative contraindication requiring oncologist consultation.
A diabetic patient's blood glucose before HBO therapy is 60 mg/dL. What is the correct response?
Answer: Delay treatment and provide a carbohydrate snack, then recheck
Hypoglycemia must be corrected before HBO because the metabolic demands of treatment can worsen low blood sugar.
Which cranial nerve is primarily evaluated when assessing a patient's ability to auto-insufflate during descent?
Answer: CN IX (Glossopharyngeal)
CN IX innervates the Eustachian tube musculature involved in auto-insufflation (Valsalva and Toynbee maneuvers).
What baseline vital sign parameter is MOST important to document before each HBO treatment session for a patient with a recent stroke?
Answer: Blood pressure
Blood pressure must be documented because hypertension or hypotension can increase the risk of neurological complications during HBO in stroke patients.
A patient reports taking disulfiram (Antabuse). This is relevant to HBO assessment because it:
Answer: Increases CNS oxygen toxicity risk
Disulfiram inhibits superoxide dismutase, reducing the body's antioxidant defense and potentially increasing CNS oxygen toxicity risk during HBO.