Safety and Compliance Flashcards

Under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) framework, mandatory reporting applies when a registered practitioner has a reasonable belief that a colleague:

Answer: Is practising while intoxicated or has an impairment placing the public at risk

AHPRA mandates reporting when a practitioner reasonably believes a colleague has an impairment, is intoxicated while practising, or engages in conduct that places the public at significant risk.

Which of the following best describes 'procedural sedation' as distinct from general anaesthesia under ANZCA standards?

Answer: Procedural sedation maintains spontaneous ventilation and protective airway reflexes without loss of consciousness

Procedural sedation is defined as a state that allows purposeful response to stimulation, maintains spontaneous breathing, and preserves airway reflexes, without intentional loss of consciousness.

The Anaesthesia Non-Technical Skills (ANTS) framework is primarily used to assess:

Answer: Cognitive, social, and personal resource management skills of anaesthetists

ANTS assesses non-technical skills including task management, situational awareness, decision-making, and teamwork and communication.

During a difficult airway scenario, the anaesthetist declares 'cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate' (CICO). The next step according to ANZCA guidelines is:

Answer: Proceed immediately to emergency front-of-neck airway (eFONA)

The ANZCA difficult airway guideline mandates immediate emergency front-of-neck airway (eFONA) when CICO is declared, as further intubation attempts waste critical time.

Regarding diathermy safety in the operating theatre, which precaution is most important for a patient with a cardiac pacemaker?

Answer: Use bipolar diathermy where possible and place the return electrode to keep current path away from the device

Bipolar diathermy minimises electromagnetic interference; when monopolar is necessary, the return electrode placement and keeping current away from the device are critical safety measures.

The 'sterile cockpit' concept applied to anaesthesia practice means:

Answer: During critical phases of anaesthesia, non-essential communication and tasks should be minimised

The sterile cockpit concept restricts non-essential tasks and distracting communications during high-risk anaesthesia phases such as induction and emergence.

Which of the following is the primary purpose of the Australian Incident Monitoring Study (AIMS) database?

Answer: To aggregate de-identified incident reports and identify system-level safety patterns

AIMS collects de-identified anaesthesia incidents to identify recurring patterns, contributing factors, and systemic improvements across Australian healthcare.