CSC CSC Patient Safety & Complication Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which complication is the most common serious adverse event associated with moderate sedation?
- Hypotension
- Respiratory depression (Correct answer)
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Allergic reaction
Correct answer: Respiratory depression
Respiratory depression is the most common life-threatening complication of moderate sedation due to CNS depression caused by sedative and opioid agents.
Question 2: What is the reversal agent for benzodiazepine-induced respiratory depression?
- Naloxone (Narcan)
- Flumazenil (Romazicon) (Correct answer)
- Neostigmine
- Physostigmine
Correct answer: Flumazenil (Romazicon)
Flumazenil competitively antagonizes benzodiazepine receptors in the CNS, reversing sedation and respiratory depression caused by benzodiazepines.
Question 3: When administering naloxone to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression during sedation, what is a key risk the nurse must anticipate?
- Prolonged sedation
- Re-narcotization after naloxone wears off (Correct answer)
- Hypertensive crisis from pain recurrence
- Seizures
Correct answer: Re-narcotization after naloxone wears off
Naloxone has a shorter half-life than most opioids, so re-narcotization can occur after the reversal agent wears off, requiring continued monitoring.
Question 4: A patient develops laryngospasm during moderate sedation. What is the PRIORITY nursing intervention?
- Administer succinylcholine immediately
- Apply positive pressure oxygen with a bag-valve mask and call for help (Correct answer)
- Perform an emergency cricothyrotomy
- Reposition to Trendelenburg
Correct answer: Apply positive pressure oxygen with a bag-valve mask and call for help
Initial management of laryngospasm includes applying firm positive pressure oxygen via bag-valve mask while simultaneously calling for emergency assistance.
Question 5: Which patient history finding represents the GREATEST risk factor for aspiration during moderate sedation?
- Controlled hypertension
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (Correct answer)
- History of seasonal allergies
- Well-controlled type 2 diabetes
Correct answer: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
GERD predisposes patients to regurgitation of gastric contents, significantly increasing the risk of aspiration during sedation when protective airway reflexes are diminished.
Question 6: What is the recommended minimum observation period in the recovery area after the last dose of moderate sedation medication before patient discharge?
- 15 minutes
- 30 minutes
- 1 hour (Correct answer)
- 2 hours
Correct answer: 1 hour
Most institutional and professional guidelines recommend at least 1 hour of monitored recovery after the last dose of sedation before discharge evaluation.
CSC CSC Patient Safety & Complication Management 1
Which complication is the most common serious adverse event associated with moderate sedation?