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Postoperative Care & PACU Management Flashcards

6 cards from real MAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Postoperative Care & PACU Management flashcards as text

  1. What is the first-line pharmacologic treatment for postoperative shivering in the PACU?

    Answer: Meperidine 25 mg IV

    Meperidine at 25 mg IV is the most effective pharmacologic treatment for postoperative shivering via its kappa-opioid receptor activity.

  2. How is residual neuromuscular blockade (RNMB) quantitatively detected in the PACU?

    Answer: Train-of-four (TOF) ratio with a peripheral nerve stimulator

    Train-of-four ratio measurement with a peripheral nerve stimulator quantitatively assesses residual neuromuscular blockade in the PACU.

  3. A PACU patient has SpO2 88% with slow, shallow respirations after large fentanyl doses. What is the appropriate intervention?

    Answer: Naloxone titration plus respiratory support

    Opioid-induced respiratory depression is treated with careful titration of naloxone to restore ventilation without precipitating acute opioid reversal and pain crisis.

  4. What does 'fast-tracking' refer to in postoperative anesthesia care?

    Answer: Bypassing traditional Phase 1 PACU to discharge directly from OR or to step-down

    Fast-tracking allows selected low-risk patients to bypass Phase 1 PACU and proceed directly to discharge or a lower acuity unit, improving efficiency while maintaining safety.

  5. Which postoperative complication presents as high-pitched stridor and inspiratory difficulty in the PACU?

    Answer: Post-extubation laryngeal edema or croup

    Post-extubation stridor from laryngeal edema or subglottic croup presents as high-pitched inspiratory noise requiring nebulized epinephrine and steroid treatment.

  6. What is the postoperative analgesic advantage of effective regional anesthesia in the PACU?

    Answer: Reduced opioid consumption and related side effects

    Effective regional anesthesia reduces postoperative opioid requirements, decreasing opioid-related side effects like nausea, respiratory depression, and excessive sedation.