Risk Management & Assessment Flashcards

Which of the following scenarios represents the greatest infection control risk in a sleep laboratory?

Answer: Reusing a single-patient-use disposable nasal cannula on multiple patients after only wiping it down with alcohol

Single-use disposable items must never be reused as they cannot be adequately sterilized and pose a significant cross-contamination and infection risk.

A patient with a known history of claustrophobia is scheduled for CPAP titration. What is the MOST proactive risk management approach?

Answer: Inform the technologist in advance, desensitize the patient to the mask before lights-out, and have an alternative interface available

Proactive desensitization and having alternative mask options ready minimizes the risk of mask intolerance and study failure in claustrophobic patients.

During a PSG study, the EEG suddenly shows a dramatic change in waveform morphology across all channels simultaneously. What is the most likely cause and the FIRST action to take?

Answer: Electrode artifact or a technical failure; check electrode impedances and connections

Simultaneous changes across all channels are almost always a technical artifact or equipment failure rather than a physiologic event, and should be verified technically first.

A sleep lab is evaluating a new brand of electrode gel. What risk management step should occur BEFORE using the new gel on patients?

Answer: Verify the product is FDA-cleared or approved for its intended use and review its safety data sheet (SDS)

All products applied to patients must be FDA-cleared for their intended use, and their SDS reviewed for allergen or hazard information before clinical use.

What is the primary purpose of having a written emergency response protocol posted in the sleep laboratory?

Answer: To ensure all staff respond consistently and correctly during a crisis, minimizing harm

Written protocols ensure standardized, rapid, and correct responses during emergencies when stress may impair improvised decision-making.

A technologist is about to apply a chin EMG electrode when they notice an open wound at the intended site. What is the most appropriate action?

Answer: Select an adjacent unaffected site and document the electrode placement modification

Placing electrodes on open wounds can cause infection and patient harm; the technologist should use an alternative site and document the deviation.

Which patient population requires the most heightened fall risk assessment in the sleep laboratory specifically due to medication effects?

Answer: Elderly patients taking benzodiazepines or sedative-hypnotics for insomnia

Elderly patients on sedative-hypnotic medications have significantly increased fall risk due to drug-induced impaired coordination and cognitive effects that persist into nighttime waking periods.