RPSGT Risk Management & Assessment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A sleep technologist is using a portable oximeter that has not been calibrated in over 6 months. From a risk management perspective, what is the primary concern?
- The device may consume more battery power
- Inaccurate SpO2 readings could lead to failure to identify or over-treat hypoxemia (Correct answer)
- The waveform display may be harder to read
- The device may not connect to the EHR system
Correct answer: Inaccurate SpO2 readings could lead to failure to identify or over-treat hypoxemia
Uncalibrated monitoring equipment can produce inaccurate clinical data, leading to missed diagnoses or inappropriate treatment decisions that harm the patient.
Question 2: During a pediatric sleep study, a 5-year-old patient becomes increasingly agitated and tries to remove all electrodes. What is the BEST initial approach to manage this risk?
- Apply soft restraints to prevent electrode removal
- Pause the study, allow a parent to comfort the child, and attempt to re-engage the child calmly (Correct answer)
- Administer a sedative to calm the child
- Terminate the study and reschedule
Correct answer: Pause the study, allow a parent to comfort the child, and attempt to re-engage the child calmly
The least restrictive intervention first — involving the parent and de-escalating — is both ethically appropriate and clinically sound before considering any other options.
Question 3: A patient arrives for a sleep study and reports they are allergic to latex. Which risk management step is MOST important before applying electrodes?
- Verify the patient's insurance coverage for latex-safe supplies
- Ensure all electrode paste, tapes, and straps are latex-free before contact with the patient (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient if their allergy is 'mild' before proceeding
- Document the allergy only after the study is completed
Correct answer: Ensure all electrode paste, tapes, and straps are latex-free before contact with the patient
Latex allergy can cause severe anaphylactic reactions; all materials that contact the patient's skin must be confirmed latex-free before the study begins.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a pre-study health questionnaire in the context of risk management?
- To determine the patient's insurance deductible
- To identify contraindications, allergies, and medical conditions that may affect study safety (Correct answer)
- To assess the patient's sleep hygiene habits only
- To gather data for marketing purposes
Correct answer: To identify contraindications, allergies, and medical conditions that may affect study safety
The pre-study health questionnaire is a core risk screening tool that flags conditions requiring special precautions or physician notification before testing begins.
Question 5: A technologist discovers that the previous technologist's night-shift documentation omitted a 4-minute period of oxygen desaturation below 80%. What is the most appropriate action?
- Ignore it since the study is already over
- Notify the supervising physician and ensure the event is added to the final record with proper documentation (Correct answer)
- Correct the record yourself without notification to avoid drawing attention to the error
- Discard the entire study and repeat it
Correct answer: Notify the supervising physician and ensure the event is added to the final record with proper documentation
Significant clinical events must be accurately documented in the medical record; the physician must be notified so the omission is corrected through proper channels.
Question 6: In the context of RPSGT risk management, what does 'scope of practice' primarily protect?
- The technologist's right to prescribe medications
- Both the patient and the technologist by defining the limits of safe and authorized practice (Correct answer)
- The technologist's ability to interpret polysomnographic studies independently
- The sleep lab's billing practices
Correct answer: Both the patient and the technologist by defining the limits of safe and authorized practice
Scope of practice defines what a credentialed professional is trained and authorized to do, protecting patients from unqualified interventions and technologists from liability.
Question 7: A patient on home oxygen therapy arrives without their prescribed supplemental oxygen device. What should the RPSGT do?
- Proceed with the study without supplemental oxygen to obtain baseline data
- Contact the ordering physician to obtain orders before providing any supplemental oxygen (Correct answer)
- Refuse to admit the patient
- Use whatever oxygen flow rate seems appropriate based on the patient's baseline SpO2
Correct answer: Contact the ordering physician to obtain orders before providing any supplemental oxygen
Supplemental oxygen is a physician-ordered therapy; the technologist must obtain orders before administering or altering oxygen delivery.
RPSGT Risk Management & Assessment 3
A sleep technologist is using a portable oximeter that has not been calibrated in over 6 months.
From a risk management perspective, what is the primary concern?