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 a patient is positioned in the prone position, chest rolls or a Wilson frame are used primarily to:
Answer: Allow free abdominal excursion and reduce vena caval compression
Chest rolls or a Wilson frame relieve abdominal compression, allowing the diaphragm to move freely and reducing inferior vena caval compression that would otherwise increase surgical bleeding.
Intraoperative temperature monitoring is critical because hypothermia (core temp below 36°C) can cause all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: Reduced anesthetic agent requirements
Hypothermia actually increases anesthetic requirements slightly because shivering and thermoregulatory responses remain active; the other options are all known adverse effects of intraoperative hypothermia.
The circulating nurse notes that the patient's arm is abducted greater than 90 degrees on the arm board. The primary concern is injury to which structure?
Answer: Brachial plexus from stretch or compression
Arm abduction greater than 90 degrees stretches the brachial plexus and can cause traction injury; AORN guidelines recommend keeping abduction at 90 degrees or less.
Which pulse oximetry limitation is most clinically significant when monitoring a patient who has received large amounts of intravenous dye (methylene blue)?
Answer: Methylene blue causes falsely low SpO2 readings transiently
Methylene blue absorbs light at wavelengths used by pulse oximetry and causes a transient but significant drop in the SpO2 reading that does not reflect true oxygenation status.
During a lengthy procedure, the circulating nurse is responsible for re-evaluating the patient's position at regular intervals. The MOST important reason for this is to:
Answer: Identify developing pressure injuries or positional nerve stress early enough to intervene
Ongoing positional reassessment allows early identification and correction of pressure points or nerve stress before irreversible injury occurs.
A patient undergoing a prolonged procedure in the lithotomy position develops rhabdomyolysis postoperatively. Which intraoperative finding would have been the earliest indicator of this developing complication?
Answer: Decreasing urine output with dark, tea-colored urine
Dark, myoglobin-containing urine and decreased output are the hallmarks of rhabdomyolysis, which can occur from compartment syndrome or ischemia-reperfusion injury in the compressed limbs.
The American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) and AORN recommend that intraoperative temperature be maintained at or above which threshold to prevent adverse outcomes?
Answer: 36.0°C (96.8°F)
Maintaining core temperature at or above 36°C (96.8°F) is recommended to prevent complications of perioperative hypothermia including SSI, coagulopathy, and prolonged recovery.