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
During a robotic-assisted surgery, the OR team loses all visual display. What is the safest immediate action?
Answer: Pause the procedure and troubleshoot the display system
The immediate safe response is to pause and troubleshoot; conversion to open surgery is reserved for situations where the problem cannot be quickly resolved.
Which antiseptic agent is contraindicated for skin preparation around the eyes?
Answer: Chlorhexidine gluconate and isopropyl alcohol
Both chlorhexidine and alcohol are ototoxic and can cause serious eye injury; only dilute povidone-iodine is approved for periocular skin prep.
When applying a tourniquet to the upper extremity, what is the maximum recommended inflation time before deflation and reperfusion?
Answer: 90 minutes
Most guidelines recommend deflating pneumatic tourniquets after no more than 90 minutes on the upper extremity to prevent ischemic nerve and muscle injury.
A nurse notices that a sterile package has a small tear in the outer wrapper but the inner wrapper appears intact. What is the correct action?
Answer: Consider the item unsterile and replace it
A compromised outer wrapper cannot guarantee the sterility of the inner contents; event-related sterility means any breach makes the item unsterile.
Which safety measure is most important when using laser in the OR to protect the patient's airway?
Answer: Using a laser-resistant endotracheal tube with the lowest FiO2 possible
Laser-resistant ETTs with the lowest effective FiO2 reduce both ignition risk and fire propagation if the tube is struck by the laser beam.
Which of the following is an early sign of air embolism during a procedure performed in the sitting (beach chair) position?
Answer: 'Mill wheel' murmur and a decrease in end-tidal CO2
A 'mill wheel' murmur heard on precordial Doppler and a drop in end-tidal CO2 are early indicators of venous air embolism in the sitting position.
What is the purpose of the 'sterile cockpit' concept applied during the surgical count?
Answer: To restrict all nonessential communication during critical count phases
Borrowed from aviation, 'sterile cockpit' in surgery means eliminating nonessential conversation during counts to prevent distractions that lead to count errors.