RVT Quality Assurance and Safety 4

Question 1

A vascular lab implements a protocol requiring dual verification of all lower extremity bypass graft surveillance reports. This is an example of which patient safety concept?

Accepted Answer

Redundancy / independent double-check

Answer

Lean Six Sigma waste reduction

Answer

Root cause analysis

Answer

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)

Question 2

When calibrating a segmental pressure cuff system, the technologist should verify that cuffs maintain pressure within what acceptable tolerance?

Accepted Answer

±5 mmHg

Answer

±1 mmHg

Answer

±10 mmHg

Answer

±15 mmHg

Question 3

Under the principle of universal precautions, how should vascular laboratory staff treat ALL patient blood and body fluids?

Accepted Answer

As potentially infectious regardless of the patient's known diagnosis

Answer

As non-infectious unless the patient tests positive for HIV or hepatitis

Answer

As infectious only during invasive procedures

Answer

As requiring only standard gloves, with no additional PPE

Question 4

Which document should a vascular laboratory maintain to demonstrate that technologists have reviewed and understood updated scanning protocols?

Accepted Answer

Competency sign-off sheets or training attestation records

Answer

Accreditation renewal application

Answer

Daily patient log with scan times

Answer

Equipment maintenance contracts

Question 5

A false-negative rate of 12% is found during a QA audit of carotid duplex studies compared to angiography. Which action is MOST appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a root cause analysis to identify systematic scanning or interpretation errors

Answer

Accept the rate as within normal lab variation

Answer

Increase the stenosis threshold to reduce false negatives

Answer

Remove the outlying technologist from carotid scanning duties immediately

Question 6

Which electrical safety precaution is MOST important when operating ultrasound equipment near a patient with a temporary transvenous pacemaker?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the equipment is properly grounded and inspect for current leakage

Answer

Use only battery-powered ultrasound units

Answer

Avoid scanning the chest entirely

Answer

Increase scan frequency to reduce electrical interference

Question 7

In the context of vascular laboratory QA, what is the purpose of a 'correlation study'?

Accepted Answer

To compare the lab's duplex findings with those from another imaging modality to validate diagnostic accuracy

Answer

To measure Doppler angle reproducibility across technologists

Answer

To assess whether equipment cleaning reduces infection rates

Answer

To calculate inter-rater agreement between two sonographers scanning the same patient consecutively