CIR Quality Assurance & Equipment Management Flashcards

A sentinel event in the cath lab involving wrong-site femoral access should trigger:

Answer: Root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective action plan

Sentinel events require a thorough root cause analysis followed by a corrective action plan to prevent recurrence, per Joint Commission standards.

Cath lab staff competency for high-risk equipment such as intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) should be validated:

Answer: Annually and after any significant equipment change

Annual competency validation for high-risk devices ensures staff maintain proficiency and are current with any device updates or protocol changes.

Which metric is most commonly used to benchmark cath lab efficiency and throughput?

Answer: Room turnover time between cases

Room turnover time (time from one patient leaving to the next patient's procedure start) is the primary operational benchmark for cath lab efficiency.

Pressure manifolds used during cardiac catheterization require zeroing at the level of the:

Answer: Phlebostatic axis (fourth intercostal space, midaxillary line)

Zeroing at the phlebostatic axis (mid-chest at the 4th ICS–midaxillary line intersection) ensures accurate hemodynamic pressure measurements referenced to the heart.

Contrast media warmers in the cath lab are used primarily to:

Answer: Reduce contrast viscosity and improve injectability while reducing patient discomfort

Warming contrast to body temperature (37°C) reduces viscosity, improves flow through catheters, and minimizes the vasodilatory discomfort patients feel upon injection.

An Automatic Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (AICD) in a patient undergoing fluoroscopy-guided cath lab procedures should be:

Answer: Interrogated and reprogrammed by electrophysiology prior to the procedure

AICD devices can be inhibited or triggered by electromagnetic interference in the cath lab, requiring electrophysiology consultation for appropriate reprogramming or magnet use.