test 1 Flashcards
what are six considerations that are crucial before anesthetic procedures?
- minimum patient database
- proper patient fasting
- pre-induction patient care
- supplies available
- equipment working
- pre-anesthetic medication
before the patient comes in for surgery, what 3 things do you need to ensure?
- full history has been collected
- patient fasted
- proper documentation completed
what is the purpose of the minimum patient database?
to make patient care decisions and uncover potential anesthetic risks
what does the minimum patient database include?
- patient history (incl. signalment
- complete PE findings
- results of preanesthetic diagnostic workup
when should the minimum patient database be completed? why?
the patient should be scheduled for an appointment several days before the planned procedure; if problems come up they can be addressed prior to surgery
why is it important to verbally confirm the scheduled procedure before beginning?
can prevent tragic accidents; anesthetizing the wrong patient, performing an unnecessary procedure, not performing a required procedure
as a technician, what do you need to obtain from the client regarding patient history?
- signalment
- current/past illnesses
- current medications
- allergies and/or drug reactions
- status of preventative care (vaccines, S/N, etc.)
why is the signalment so important to know before performing an anesthetic procedure?
there are unique species reactions and sensitivities to anesthetic agents
t/f - horses and cats are not sensitive to opioids
false - they ARE sensitive to opioids
t/f - cats produce excess airway secretions under anesthesia
true
what drug produces sensitivity in boxers and giant breeds?
acepromazine
what dog breed is resistant acepromazine?
terriers
what specific type of horse should you not administer acepromazine to?
contraindicated for use in stallions
xylazine is contraindicated for use in pregnant ___ and ___ ?
cows and ewes
what unique response can be seen in cats after administration of ketamine?
prolonged recovery
what might happen to a dog after being sedated with acepromazine?
may see behavioural changes
what details of past/current illnesses should be acquired with patient hx?
- preexisting disease
- changes in behaviour
- exercise intolerance
- weakness
- fainting and/or seizures
- unexplained bleeding
why would it be important to use a consistent technique when doing physical assessments?
to avoid missing any areas of the body - need to examine the entire patient
what four factors of patient appearance should be assessed?
- symmetry
- mentation
- posture/gait
- hydration status
t/f - patient dose is based on lean body weight
true
how can you assess the hydration status of a patient?
- skin turgor
- placement of eye in orbit
- mucous membrane colour, capp. refill time
- heart rate//pulse strength
once the hydration is assessed, what must be done before anesthesia?
must correct any hydration abnormalities
when taking TPR values, what is important to observe with patient respiration?
what the character of respiration is - how much effort are they exerting to breathe?
what exterior surfaces would you assess on PE?
- hair coat
- skin
- lymph nodes/mammary glands
- body openings (odours, discharge)
- eyes, ears, nose, throat
what is it called when the pupils are normally two different sizes?
anesicoria
why would you want to assess the patient’s haircoat?
hair loss can be proof of infectious and non-infectious conditions
how does thoracic auscultation differ from taking the heart rate?
listens for murmurs, arrhythmias, crackles, wheezes, etc.
t/f - thoracic auscultation is performed by an RVT prior to anesthesia
true - h/e the DVM should also perform prior to anesthesia
why is it important to listen over each valve of the heart?
there can be turbulence in blood flow through only one valve or multiple, need to assess all for heart murmurs
t/f - patient resps are proportional to body size
false - patient resps are inversely proportional to body size - small animal, higher resp rate
what is “stertor” ?
brachycephalic noise caused by their elongated/thickened soft palate
what is stridor?
brachycephalic laryngeal noise
what is dyspnea?
shortness of breath
what is cyanosis?
blueish colour to mucous membranes
what do crackles indicate? (in lung sounds)
moisture in the airways
how many quadrants need to be examined when ascultating the lungs?
four
what preanesthetic diagnostic tests/procedures need to be completed?
- CBC
- urinalysis
- blood chemistry
- blood coagulation screens
- electrocardiogram (ECG)
- radiography
how do you determine the physical status classification of a patient?
based on evaluation of the MPD
what does the physical status classification represent?
rates patient anesthetic risk
what are the levels of patient risk and what do they represent?
PS1 - minimal risk PS2 - low risk PS3 - moderate risk PS4 - high risk PS5 - extreme risk
define anesthesia
loss of sensation; one extreme in a continuum level of CNS depression
define general anesthesia
reversible state of unconsciousness, imobility, muscle relaxation and loss of sensation
define surgical anesthesia
analgesia and muscle relaxation; eliminates pain and patient movement
define local anesthesia
targets a small, specific area of the body; drug is infiltrated into desired area to cause loss of sensation
define topical anesthesia
applied to body surface or wound; produces a superficial loss of sensation
define regional anesthesia
loss of sensation to a limited area of the body; examples are nerve blocks and epidural anesthesia
what is balanced anesthesia?
using multiple drugs in smaller quantities for anesthesia
what are the two main advantages to balanced anesthesia?
- maximizes benefits of drugs
2. minimizes adverse effects
what is an RVT’s role as an anesthetist?
- prep/operate/maintain anesthetic machine
- administer anesthetic agents
- perform endotracheal intubation
- patient monitoring
what are some challenges and risks associated with anesthesia?
- dose calculation and rate adjustment
- vital signs and anesthetic depth
- assessing multiple pieces of information
- patient management
- accidents
why is it so crucial to monitor the patient’s cariovascular and pulmonary systems during anesthesia?
drugs may cause changes in the systems which can in turn be lethal
what is an endotracheal tube and what does it do?
flexible tube placed in the trachea; delivers anesthetic gases directly from the machine to the lungs
what are some advantages of using an endotracheal tube?
- opens airway
- less anatomical dead space
- precision administration of anesthetic agent
- prevents aspiration
- responds to respiratory emergencies
- monitors respirations
what are some different kinds of ET tubes?
- murphy tubes - beveled end and side holes; possible cuff
2. cole tubes - no side hole or cuff; used in birds and reptiles
why would a polyvinyl chloride ET tube be preferable over a red rubber?
the polyvinyl are clear and stiffer where the red rubber may kink or collapse in the patient
why would silicone ET tubes be a good choice?
it is pliable, strong, less irritating and resists collapse
how and why are tube cuffs used?
high volume/low pressure; used for short term intubation - pressure is distributed evenly along the cuff length
low volume/high pressure; potential tissue damage
why are cuffless tubes on non-inflated cuffs used?
used in small animals to reduce the risk of tracheal damage
what is a laryngoscope?
a tool used to increase visibility of the larynx while placing an ET tube
t/f - the same laryngoscope can be used for both small and large animals
false - small animals use 0-5 inch blade; large animals use up to an 18 inch blade
what does a subglottic airway device do?
allows airway management without invading the tracheal lumen
what are some advantages to a SAD?
- decrease in laryngospasm
- resistance to breathing
- decreased risk of airway trauma
- no post-op coughing
t/f - masks are used to administer oxygen and anesthetic gases to intubated patients
false - masks are used when the patient is not intubated
what are the four components of the anesthetic machine?
- compressed gas supply
- anesthetic vaporizer
- breathing circuit
- scavenging system
what oxygen level is required to maintain cellular metabolism under anesthesia?
30% oxygen
what purpose does the compressed gas supply (oxygen) serve?
used to increase inspired air to at least 30% O2
used to carry vaporizedd anesthetic to patient
what is the difference between E tanks and H tanks?
E tanks - small, attached directly to anesthetic machine
H tanks - large, attached remotely to anesthetic machine
where is the control valve located?
on top of the tank
what is the control valve used for?
an outlet port; can be loosened or tightened
what does the pressure reducing valve do?
reduces outgoing pressure to a usable level
when should the primary and secondary oxygen supplies be checked?
at the beginning and ending of every day
t/f - the compressed gas valve is turned counter clockwise to open
true
what happens when the valve stem is turned completely clockwise?
gas flow stops
how do you release line pressure?
depress the O2 flush valve or open the valve until all gas is vented
what are some safety issues associated with compressed gas?
- combustability
- yoke attachment
- high-pressure release
- storage
- colour coding (knowledge)
what colour are oxygen cylinders in canada?
white
what kind of gas is contained within a blue cylinder?
nitrous oxide
what is the tank pressure gauge used for?
to indicate the pressure of gas remaining in the cylinder; determines the number of liters remaining in a tank
what does the pressure-reducing valve do?
reduces gas pressure to a constant 40-50 psi
what is another name for the pressure-reducing valve?
pressure regulator
what does the line pressure gauge do?
indicates pressure in the gas line between the pressure-reducing valve and the flowmeter
what should the line pressure gauge read when the oxygen tank is opened?
40-50 psi
what must you do after turning the tank off?
evacuate line pressure until the gauge reads 0 psi using the oxygen flush valve
what does the flowmeter do?
- indicates gas flow expressed in liters per minute (L/min)
- reduces pressure of gas to 15 psi
who controls the flow rate during anesthetic procedures?
the anesthetist (RVT)
what is the purpose of the oxygen flush valve?
- delivers a short, large burst of pure oxygen directly into the rebreathing circuit or common gas outlet
- bypasses vaporizer and flowmeter
- used to refill breathing bag or to dilute anesthetic gas remaining in circuit at the end of anesthesia
when should you NEVER use the oxygen flush valve?
when the patient is hooked up to the breathing circuit
what does the anesthetic vaporizer do?
converts liquid anesthetic agent to a gaseous state; adds a controlled amount of vaporized agent to the carrier gas
how does the gas mixture leave the vaporizer?
through the outlet port
what is fresh gas?
mixture of vaporized anesthetic agent and carrier gas that enters the breathing circuit
how does the carrier gas (oxygen) get into the vaporizer to create fresh gas?
vaporizer inlet port; the oxygen exits the flowmeter into the inlet port
what are the different kinds of anesthetic vaporizers?
- non-precision
2. precision
t/f - non-precision vaporizers are safer, and used more often than precision
false - non-precision vaporizers deliver low pressure vapor based on estimation
how are precision vaporizers used?
deliver a precise amount of anesthetic to the patient; high vapor pressure that is controlled by the anesthetist
what factors affect vaporizer output?
- vaporizer setting
- carrier gas flow
- temperature (most modern vaporizers are compensated)
what color indicates isoflurane vaporizer?
purple
what colour indicated sevoflurane vaporizer?
yellow
what are the induction and maintenance rates of isoflurane and sevoflurane?
isoflurane - 3-5% induction; 1.5-2.5% maintenance
sevoflurane - 4-6% induction; 2-4.5% maintenance
what do you do to turn on the vaporizer?
- depress safety lock
2. turn dial to desired level (measured in percent concentration)
how full should the vaporizer be kept? what can happen if the level is incorrect?
should be at least half-full; if over full can result in overdose, if underfull can cause difficulty to keep patient anesthetized
what happens at hte vaporizer outlet port?
- oxygen/anesthetic exits vaporizer
2. connected to the common gas outlet or directly into breathing circuit
what happens at the common gas outlet?
fresh gas outlet; connected to the vaporizer outlet port and breathing circuit
what does the breathing circuit do?
- carries anesthetic and oxygen from the fresh gas inlet to the patient
- conveys expired gases away from the patient
what are the two types of breathing circuits?
- rebreathing
2. non rebreathing
how does a rebreathing system work?
- circle system
- not used on very small animals
- carbon dioxed is removed from exhaled air (in canister)
- exhaled air is inhaled again with added oxygen and anesthetic
how does air flow through a rebreathing system?
- inhalation unidirectional valve
- inhalation tube
- animal
- exhalation tube
- exhalation unidirectional valve
- carbon dioxide absorber canister
- past reservoir bag
- pop-off valve
- pressure manometer
- inhalation unidirectional valve
how is a closed rebreathing system different from a semi-closed rebreathing system?
closed is a total system; pop-off valve is nearly or completely closed; oxygen flow is low - used mostly for large animal
how is a semi-closed rebreathing system different from a closed rebreathing system?
partial system; pop-off valve is open and oxygen flow is high - excess air is released into scavenging system
t/f - it is rare to come across semi-closed rebreathing system in modern practice
false - semi-closed rebreathing is the most common configuration
what are the parts that compose a rebreathing system?
- fresh gas inlet
- unidirectional valves
- reservoir bag
- pop-off valve (pressure relief)
- carbon dioxide absorber canister
- pressure manometer
- air intake valve
- corrugated breathing tubes
- y-piece
what do unidirectional valves do?
- control the direction of gas flow (inspiratory, expiratory)
- open and close as patient breathes
- monitor respiratory rate and depth
- monitor for sticking due to condensation
what does the pop-off valve allow for?
- excess carrier and/or anesthetic gases to exit the breathing circuit and enter the scavenging system
- prevents excessive pressure or gas volume in the circuit
what position should the pop-off valve be in when manually ventilating a patient?
closed
what does the reservoir bag do?
- provides a flexible air storage reservoir
- indicates respiratory rate and depth
- confirms proper endotracheal tube placement
t/f - the reservoir bag can deliver anesthetic gases or pure oxygen to the patient
true
why would you manually ventilate a patient?
to force fresh gas into alveoli to normalize gas exchange; this normalizes the respiratory rate
t/f - manual ventilation minimizes atelectasis
true
how often should you ventilate the patient when bagging them?
every 5-10 minutes
what is contained within the carbon dioxide absorber canister? what happens when carbon dioxide is absorbed?
contains absorbent granules (calcium hydroxide) - granules react with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate
what should the capnograph read if the cannister is expired?
anything greater than zero indicates an expired cannister
what does the pressure manometer do?
indicates the pressure of gases within the breathing circuit
what unit does the pressure manometer express?
centimeters of water
how many centimeters of water are used when ventilating small and large animals, respectively?
small animals - 20 cm H2O
large animals - 40 cm H2O
what does the pressure manometer do when bagging a patient?
prevents excessive pressure in the lungs
what does the air intake valve do?
aka negative pressure relief valve - admits room air into the circuit if negative pressure is detected in the breathing circuit
what is a sure sign of negative pressure in the circuit?
collapsed reservoir bag
what will the patient develop if negative pressure enters the circuit ?
hypoxemia
t/f - negative pressure is sometimes okay when performing anesthesia
false - we NEVER want negative pressure
how many sizes do breathing tubes come in? what are they?
three; 50mm, 22mm and 15mm
what does the breathing tube connect to?
unidirectional valve and y-piece
what size patient requires a non-rebreathing system?
<7 kg
how does a semi-open system work?
exhaled gas is evacuated by the scavenging system, fresh gas is routed to the patient directly from the vaporizer - no carbon dioxide absorber canister, pressure manometer or unidirectional valves
components of a semi-open non-rebreathing sytstem?
endotracheal tube connector, fresh gas inlet, reservoir bag, overflow valve, scavenger tube and scavenger system
what are the two main configurations of non-rebreathing circuits?
- bain coaxial circuit
2. ayres t-piece