CVT Patient Care, Safety & Medical Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient undergoing a stress echocardiogram develops ST-segment depression and complains of chest pain. What is the FIRST action the CVT should take?
- Notify the supervising physician immediately (Correct answer)
- Document the findings and continue the test
- Administer sublingual nitroglycerin
- Increase the treadmill speed to complete the protocol
Correct answer: Notify the supervising physician immediately
ST depression with chest pain during stress testing is a primary endpoint requiring immediate physician notification and test termination.
Question 2: Which principle of medical ethics refers to the obligation to act in the best interest of the patient?
- Autonomy
- Justice
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence is the ethical duty to act in ways that promote patient welfare and best interests.
Question 3: A CVT notices a colleague using an ultrasound probe that has a visible crack in its housing. The BEST course of action is to:
- Disinfect the probe and continue using it
- Remove the probe from service and report it to biomedical engineering (Correct answer)
- Cover the crack with sterile tape and document it
- Continue using it if the crack does not worsen during the procedure
Correct answer: Remove the probe from service and report it to biomedical engineering
Damaged equipment housings can harbor pathogens and pose electrical hazards, requiring immediate removal from service.
Question 4: When obtaining informed consent for a cardiac catheterization, the patient states they do not understand the risks. The CVT should:
- Have the patient sign the consent form anyway and note their concern
- Proceed with the procedure if the physician already explained it
- Notify the physician so the patient can receive further clarification (Correct answer)
- Reschedule the procedure for another day
Correct answer: Notify the physician so the patient can receive further clarification
Informed consent requires the patient to understand the procedure; the physician must address any gaps in understanding before the patient signs.
Question 5: During an echocardiogram, a patient discloses they are experiencing suicidal thoughts. The CVT is ethically and legally obligated to:
- Maintain confidentiality and not disclose the information
- Document it in the report and complete the study
- Immediately report the disclosure to the supervising provider (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient to contact a crisis hotline after the procedure
Correct answer: Immediately report the disclosure to the supervising provider
Disclosure of suicidal ideation constitutes an imminent safety risk that overrides standard patient confidentiality and requires immediate escalation.
Question 6: Which radiation safety principle states that radiation exposure should be kept as low as reasonably achievable?
- ALARA (Correct answer)
- OSHA
- HIPAA
- NCRP
Correct answer: ALARA
ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) is the guiding radiation protection principle applied in fluoroscopy and nuclear cardiology.
Question 7: A CVT is performing a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) when the patient's oxygen saturation drops to 88%. The MOST appropriate immediate action is to:
- Reposition the probe to complete imaging quickly
- Administer supplemental oxygen and notify the physician (Correct answer)
- Remove the TEE probe and terminate the study
- Increase the IV sedation to reduce patient movement
Correct answer: Administer supplemental oxygen and notify the physician
Oxygen desaturation during TEE requires supplemental oxygen and physician notification before considering probe removal or other interventions.
CVT Patient Care, Safety & Medical Ethics 2
A patient undergoing a stress echocardiogram develops ST-segment depression and complains of chest pain.
What is the FIRST action the CVT should take?