A)

B)
C)
D)

1.A nurse is working on a presurgical floor and is assessing patients who will receive
isoflurane as part of balanced anesthesia for surgery. For which of the following patients
will the nurse plan for a longer recovery period and a greater incidence of adverse effects
from isoflurane?
A 32-year-old male with a history of drug abuse
A 27-year-old female who weighs 298 pounds
A 45-year-old male with a history of cigarette smoking and asthma
A 53-year-old female with a history of alcohol abuse

A)
B)
C)
D)

2.A 90- year-old frail, elderly woman has arrived at the emergency department with a
broken hip and in acute respiratory distress. Succinylcholine will be used because of the
need for rapid endotracheal intubation, and then the woman will be sent to surgery. Due
to the womans frail condition, she is at risk for skin breakdown. Which of the following
nursing diagnoses would be most appropriate?
Impaired Spontaneous Ventilation
Impaired Physical Mobility
Fear
Disturbed Sensory Perception

A)
B)
C)
D)

3.A surgical nurse is documenting the different stages of anesthesia on a patients chart.
Which stage will the nurse describe in documentation just before the surgeon makes the
incision?
Stage I
Stage II
Stage III
Stage IV

A)
B)
C)
D)

4.A nurse in the recovery room has been assigned to a patient who had an ocular surgical
procedure and received isoflurane. The nurse will observe for which of the following
during the recovery period?
Urticaria and angioedema
Facial flushing and hypotension
Wheezing and bronchospasm
Shivering and tremors

A)
B)
C)
D)

5.A patient has been admitted to the ICU because of multiple traumas due to a motor
vehicle accident. The physician has ordered propofol (Diprivan) to be used for
maintenance of sedation. Before administration of propofol, a priority assessment by the
nurse would be to check for a history of:
Seizure disorders
Low blood pressure
Increased intraocular pressure
Diabetic hyperlipidemia
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A)
B)
C)
D)

6.A surgical nurse is picking up a patient from the ICU for surgery and notes the recent use
of theophylline in the patients chart. The nurse will question the use of which of the
following drugs during surgery?
Etomidate (Amidate)
Thiopental (Pentothal)
Ketamine (Ketalar)
Remifentanil (Ultiva)

A)
B)
C)
D)

7.A postsurgical patient is awake and extremely anxious while in the post anesthesia
recovery unit. She states that my arms and legs feel like tree trunks and they are hard to
move. She also states that my head feels fuzzy and the right words will not come out.
Which of the following is the most appropriate nursing action for this patient?
Provide analgesia medication for the discomfort.
Stay with the patient as much as possible and provide reassurance.
Provide fluids to increase her wakefulness.
Encourage the patient to turn from side to side periodically.

A)
B)
C)
D)

8.A nurse is caring for a 68-year-old woman who has just returned to her room after a
gastroscopy. Prior to beginning the procedure, lidocaine was given to numb her throat.
Which of the following is the priority nursing intervention?
Check blood pressure and heart rate every 30 minutes for the next 12 hours.
Ask the patient if she needs to urinate.
Instruct the patient and family that she should not eat or drink for at least 1 hour.
Allow the patient to ambulate only with assistance.

A)
B)
C)
D)

9.A 71-year-old patient with a history of asthma and heart disease is receiving tubocurarine
to prevent trauma during electroconvulsive therapy. The nurse will assess respiratory and
cardiac status every:
5 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
30 minutes

A)
B)
C)
D)

10.A patient is transferred to the recovery room after a 4-hour surgery. Balanced anesthesia
was used to produce loss of consciousness, analgesia, and muscle relaxation. In order to
help prevent aspiration, the nurse will:
Assess the need for postoperative analgesia.
Monitor the patient's vital signs.
Instruct the patient to turn, cough, and deep breathe.
Position the patient in a side-lying position.

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Answer Key
1.B
2.B
3.C
4.D
5.A
6.C
7.B
8.C
9.C
10.D

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