RPSGT Risk Management & Assessment 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with suspected REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is scheduled for a diagnostic PSG. What additional safety measure is MOST important during this study?
- Placing the patient in a room with a high ceiling
- Padding the bed frame and ensuring the floor area around the bed is clear of hazards (Correct answer)
- Asking the patient to sleep on their stomach
- Increasing the HEPA filter settings in the room
Correct answer: Padding the bed frame and ensuring the floor area around the bed is clear of hazards
RBD patients act out violent dreams during REM sleep and are at high risk for falling or injuring themselves on hard surfaces near the bed.
Question 2: A technologist's 'near miss' report reveals they almost administered supplemental oxygen to the wrong patient. According to best risk management practice, this event should be:
- Kept confidential to protect the technologist from disciplinary action
- Documented in the facility's incident/near-miss reporting system to identify and correct system failures (Correct answer)
- Dismissed because no harm occurred
- Reported only to the technologist's direct supervisor verbally
Correct answer: Documented in the facility's incident/near-miss reporting system to identify and correct system failures
Near-miss reporting is a foundational safety tool that allows facilities to identify system vulnerabilities before actual patient harm occurs.
Question 3: During a CPAP titration, a patient reports palpitations and appears diaphoretic (sweaty). The technologist's MOST appropriate initial action is to:
- Lower the CPAP pressure slightly and see if symptoms resolve on their own over the next hour
- Remove the CPAP mask, wake the patient fully, and immediately notify the supervising physician (Correct answer)
- Increase SpO2 monitoring frequency to every 5 minutes
- Continue the study and document the symptoms in the morning report
Correct answer: Remove the CPAP mask, wake the patient fully, and immediately notify the supervising physician
Palpitations and diaphoresis are potential signs of a cardiac event requiring immediate cessation of the procedure and urgent physician notification.
Question 4: A sleep technologist is asked by a patient to share another patient's sleep study results 'since they are close friends.' What is the correct response?
- Share the results since it is a minor request between friends
- Decline and explain that all patient information is confidential under HIPAA regardless of the relationship (Correct answer)
- Check if the requesting patient signed a friend authorization form
- Share only non-identifying information
Correct answer: Decline and explain that all patient information is confidential under HIPAA regardless of the relationship
HIPAA prohibits disclosure of any patient's protected health information without that patient's explicit written authorization, regardless of the requester's relationship to the patient.
Question 5: Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'standard of care' in sleep technology risk management?
- Doing whatever the night-shift colleague recommends regardless of training
- Practicing in accordance with nationally recognized guidelines (AASM) and BRPT credentialing standards (Correct answer)
- Following only the individual sleep lab's internal policies even if they contradict AASM guidelines
- Performing only the procedures the patient requests
Correct answer: Practicing in accordance with nationally recognized guidelines (AASM) and BRPT credentialing standards
Standard of care in sleep technology is defined by AASM clinical guidelines and BRPT credentialing standards, which set the national benchmark for safe and competent practice.
Question 6: A patient undergoing a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) falls asleep between naps in a hallway chair. What is the MOST important risk management concern?
- The nap may invalidate the MSLT data
- The patient is at risk for a fall from a non-secured sleeping position in an unsupervised area (Correct answer)
- The hallway lighting may affect the patient's melatonin levels
- The patient may miss the scheduled nap window
Correct answer: The patient is at risk for a fall from a non-secured sleeping position in an unsupervised area
Patients undergoing MSLT are profoundly sleepy and must be supervised to prevent injury from falling asleep in unsafe, unsecured environments.
Question 7: A new RPSGT is unsure whether a patient's cardiac rhythm on the EKG channel represents a dangerous arrhythmia. What is the most appropriate action aligned with risk management principles?
- Dismiss the rhythm as artifact since they are not a cardiologist
- Immediately notify the supervising physician or on-call medical staff and document the observation (Correct answer)
- Wait until the end of the study to mention it to the interpreting physician
- Attempt to treat the arrhythmia based on their best guess
Correct answer: Immediately notify the supervising physician or on-call medical staff and document the observation
When in doubt about a potentially dangerous finding, the technologist must immediately escalate to a physician — acting beyond one's scope or ignoring a potential emergency are both unacceptable.
RPSGT Risk Management & Assessment 5
A patient with suspected REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is scheduled for a diagnostic PSG.
What additional safety measure is MOST important during this study?