Patient Positioning and Physiological Monitoring Flashcards
7 cards from real CNOR 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 Positioning and Physiological Monitoring flashcards as text
When placing a patient in the lateral decubitus position, which structure is at greatest risk for pressure injury if padding is not applied correctly?
Answer: Common peroneal nerve at the fibular head
The common peroneal nerve wraps around the fibular head and is vulnerable to compression injury in the lateral position if the lower leg is not properly padded.
Which physiological complication is most associated with prolonged Trendelenburg positioning?
Answer: Increased intracranial pressure and airway edema
Prolonged Trendelenburg position causes cephalad fluid shift, increasing intracranial pressure and causing facial and airway edema.
A patient is positioned in lithotomy. Both legs should be raised and lowered simultaneously to prevent which complication?
Answer: Hemodynamic instability from sudden blood volume shifts
Raising or lowering both legs simultaneously prevents sudden shifts in blood volume that can cause hemodynamic instability.
Which monitoring parameter is MOST important to assess continuously during a procedure performed in the sitting (beach chair) position?
Answer: Cerebral perfusion pressure via mean arterial pressure at head level
In the sitting position, the head is elevated above the heart, so mean arterial pressure must be measured and interpreted at the level of the head to ensure adequate cerebral perfusion.
Which position is associated with the highest risk of air embolism during a neurosurgical procedure?
Answer: Sitting (beach chair)
The sitting position creates a negative pressure gradient between the surgical site and the right heart, allowing air to enter open venous sinuses and cause air embolism.
When positioning a patient prone, the eyes must be checked frequently because prolonged prone positioning can cause:
Answer: Corneal abrasions and pressure-related vision loss
Corneal abrasions and ischemic optic neuropathy leading to vision loss are serious complications of prone positioning due to direct pressure and decreased ocular perfusion.
Capnography (end-tidal CO2) monitoring provides which of the following critical safety functions in the OR?
Answer: Confirms correct endotracheal tube placement and detects disconnection
Capnography provides real-time confirmation of endotracheal tube placement and immediately detects ventilator disconnection, esophageal intubation, or airway obstruction.