Intraoperative Care and Safety 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 Intraoperative Care and Safety flashcards as text
Which type of fire triangle element is most commonly represented by surgical drapes in the OR?
Answer: Fuel
Surgical drapes are a common fuel source in OR fires; they can ignite when combined with an ignition source (ESU) and an oxidizer (oxygen-enriched environment).
During closure, the instrument count is correct but the needle count is off by one. What should the perioperative nurse do?
Answer: Notify the surgeon, search the field and patient, and obtain an intraoperative X-ray if not found
A missing needle requires notifying the surgeon, thorough search of the sterile field and wound, and intraoperative imaging if unresolved before closure.
What is the primary purpose of a time-out before surgical incision?
Answer: To verify correct patient, site, side, procedure, and position
The surgical time-out is a standardized safety pause to confirm patient identity, procedure, and site/side before the first incision to prevent wrong-site surgery.
A patient is in the Trendelenburg position for 3 hours. Which postoperative complication related to positioning is the nurse most concerned about?
Answer: Intraocular pressure increase leading to vision changes
Prolonged Trendelenburg increases intraocular pressure, which can cause postoperative vision loss especially in patients with pre-existing glaucoma.
Which action by the scrub technician demonstrates correct technique when passing a scalpel?
Answer: Placing it blade-up in a neutral zone for the surgeon to retrieve
Using a neutral zone (hands-free technique) to pass sharps is the safest method, reducing sharps injury risk to both scrub person and surgeon.
An obese patient is placed in the lithotomy position. Which complication is specifically increased in this population?
Answer: Compartment syndrome of the lower extremities
Obese patients in lithotomy are at increased risk for lower extremity compartment syndrome due to elevated pressures from leg weight and restricted perfusion.
Which medication is the first-line treatment for malignant hyperthermia?
Answer: Dantrolene sodium
Dantrolene sodium is the specific antidote for MH; it inhibits calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, stopping the hypermetabolic cascade.