Anaesthesia and Recovery Room Protocols

Questions and Answers

The sterile field should always remain uncontaminated during surgery.

True

It is acceptable to rush procedures without verifying patient identifiers and surgical consent.

False

Emla cream is typically effective after waiting 15 to 30 minutes.

False

Patient advocacy involves ensuring that a patient is comfortable and understands their procedure.

True Signup and view all the answers

Intraoperative nursing care does not require monitoring the patient’s vital signs.

False Signup and view all the answers

It is important to communicate any issues to the multidisciplinary team during surgery.

True Signup and view all the answers

Reversal agents are administered only if general anesthesia was used.

False Signup and view all the answers

The nurse advised the patient that numbing cream would not be beneficial.

True Signup and view all the answers

It is unnecessary to review the patient's medical records before surgery.

False Signup and view all the answers

Positioning the patient correctly is important to avoid pressure injuries.

True Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Procedure Monitoring

Monitors breaches in surgical aseptic technique and initiates corrective actions.

Recovery Room Nurse Responsibilities

Maintains patient’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
Controls pain and alleviates nausea and vomiting.
Assesses the wound site and manages fluid balance.
Conducts thorough documentation of patient status.

General Anaesthesia (GA)

Induces loss of sensation and consciousness; suppresses cough, swallow, and gag reflexes.
Blocks awareness in the brain's reticular activating system (RAS), inducing amnesia, analgesia, and relaxation.
Administered via intravenous injection, inhalation of gases, facemask, laryngeal mask (LMA), or endotracheal tube (ETT).
Phases of GA include:
- Induction: Administration of anaesthetic until ready for surgery.
- Maintenance: Continuation until procedure completion.
- Emergence: Begins when patient starts to regain consciousness.

Endotracheal Tube (ETT) Intubation

Aimed at facilitating ventilation and preventing aspiration.
Offers clear airway maintenance during surgeries of the head, neck, mouth, throat, and nose.
Sizes available: 7.5mm for women, 8-8.5mm for men.

ETT Insertion Process

Follows surgical and anaesthetic time-outs.
Induction of anaesthetic and patient positioned in “sniffing” position.
ETT passed through vocal cords, cuff inflated to prevent gas escape and aspiration risk.
Confirm placement through breath sounds, end-tidal CO2 tracing, and oxygenation monitoring.

Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI)

Reduces risk of pulmonary aspiration of acidic stomach contents.
Indicated for emergency cases with unknown fasting time, pregnancy, bowel obstruction, and trauma.
Cricoid pressure applied via Sellick's manoeuvre to compress the oesophagus, preventing regurgitation.

Airway Obstructions and Complications

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA): Patients may need post-op CPAP devices in PACU.
Aspiration: Gastric contents enter lungs leading to impaired function, pulmonary oedema, and hypoxia.
Tracheostomy: Surgically created stoma to establish an airway, bypassing obstructions and facilitating prolonged ventilation.

Catastrophic Events in the Operating Theatre

Anaphylactic Reactions: Symptoms may be masked by anaesthesia; rapid intervention needed. Indicators include hypotension, tachycardia, and bronchospasm.
Malignant Hyperthermia: Muscle rigidity and elevated body temperature (over 41°C) can occur, leading to severe complications including cardiac arrest.

Importance of Situational Awareness (SA)

Collecting and interpreting information enhances decision-making in healthcare, reducing errors and improving patient outcomes.
Individual and contextual factors can influence one’s ability to maintain SA.

Patient Interaction and Intraoperative Care

Patients can apply Emla cream for numbing; time consideration is crucial for efficacy.
In holding bays, verify patient identity, surgical site, and consent; assess consciousness and integumentary system.
During surgery, maintain sterile fields, ensure correct medication administration, and monitor vital signs.
Post-surgery, stop inhaled anaesthetics and administer reversal agents as needed.

Description

Test your knowledge on anaesthesia procedures and recovery room nurse responsibilities. This quiz covers key aspects like monitoring surgical aseptic techniques, general anaesthesia phases, and vital patient care in the recovery room. Perfect for nursing students and professionals!