Perioperative Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real MSNCB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Perioperative Nursing flashcards as text
Which positioning complication is most associated with the lithotomy position during surgery?
Answer: Compartment syndrome of the lower extremities
Prolonged lithotomy position can impair lower extremity perfusion, leading to compartment syndrome, especially in lengthy procedures.
The circulating nurse notices the surgical drape has become wet near the incision site. What is the priority action?
Answer: Notify the surgeon and prepare to change the drape to maintain sterility
A wet drape is considered contaminated because moisture enables microorganism migration (strike-through contamination), requiring drape replacement.
A patient's core temperature drops to 35.2°C intraoperatively. Which intervention is most appropriate?
Answer: Increase the OR ambient temperature and apply a forced-air warming blanket
Active warming with forced-air warming blankets and increasing OR temperature are first-line interventions for intraoperative hypothermia.
Which parameter most directly reflects adequate tissue oxygenation in a PACU patient?
Answer: Pulse oximetry SpO2 ≥ 95%
Pulse oximetry SpO2 ≥ 95% is the direct quantitative measure used to assess adequate arterial oxygen saturation in PACU patients.
When performing a surgical hand scrub, which area requires the most attention to ensure adequate antisepsis?
Answer: The subungual area (under the fingernails)
The subungual area harbors the highest concentration of microorganisms and requires thorough cleaning during the surgical hand scrub.
A patient arriving in the PACU after general anesthesia begins to exhibit muscle rigidity, high fever, and hemodynamic instability. Which condition should the nurse suspect?
Answer: Malignant hyperthermia
Malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening hypermetabolic crisis triggered by inhaled anesthetic agents or succinylcholine, presenting with muscle rigidity and hyperthermia.
Which documentation element is most critical when completing the intraoperative nursing record?
Answer: Surgical count results with nurse signatures at each count
Accurate documentation of surgical count results with nurse signatures is a legal requirement and key patient safety record.