FCCS Patient Monitoring and Safety Flashcards

Which device is used for continuous cardiac output monitoring without the need for a pulmonary artery catheter?

Answer: Pulse contour analysis device (e.g., PiCCO, FloTrac)

Pulse contour analysis devices calculate beat-to-beat cardiac output from the arterial waveform, providing less invasive continuous hemodynamic monitoring.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the ICU can rapidly assess which clinical question?

Answer: Presence of pericardial effusion, pneumothorax, or volume status

POCUS enables bedside evaluation of pericardial effusion, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, IVC collapsibility (volume status), and cardiac function.

Inadvertent hypothermia in critically ill patients is associated with which complication?

Answer: Coagulopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, and increased infection risk

Hypothermia impairs platelet function and coagulation factors, increases arrhythmia risk, and suppresses immune function, worsening outcomes in most critically ill patients.

When performing a medication high-alert check before administering IV heparin, the nurse should verify:

Answer: Weight-based dosing, correct concentration, and an independent double-check by a second nurse

Heparin is a high-alert medication requiring weight-based dosing verification, concentration confirmation, and an independent double-check to prevent dosing errors and hemorrhage.

Alarm fatigue in the ICU is best addressed by which strategy?

Answer: Customizing alarm parameters to individual patient baselines and performing regular alarm audits

Individualizing alarm thresholds to patient-specific baselines reduces nuisance alarms while preserving clinically significant alerts, the evidence-based approach to alarm fatigue.

Which international patient safety goal addresses the risk of wrong-site, wrong-patient procedures in the ICU?

Answer: Universal protocol: patient identification, site marking, and time-out before procedures

The Universal Protocol (patient ID verification, surgical/procedural site marking, and pre-procedure time-out) prevents wrong-patient and wrong-site procedural errors.