wEEK 1

Question 1

Pre-op checks

Answer 1

Nil by mouth – reduces the risk of aspiration

Consider preparation needed e.g:
Bowel prep for bowel surgery

Medications – what the patient has taken prior to admission and normal medications. Are they on anticoagulants?

Question 2

Pre op site preparation

Answer 2

Shower using soap or antibacterial wash

Removal of hair using clippers or depilatory cream.

Question 3

Role of circulating nurse intraoperative

Answer 3

The circulating nurse ensures all items required to optimise the patient’s outcome are delivered aseptically onto the surgical field.
Patient safety is confirmed as the circulating nurse monitors the environment and manages associated risks, patient positioning, documentation of the accountable items, collection of specimens, confirming the consent, and equipment management

Question 4

Role of the instrument nurse intraoperative

Answer 4

Primary responsibility and accountability for all items used within the surgical field
Anticipates and assesses the surgical team requirements
Provides sterile supplies and equipment required for the procedure
Recognise and respond to the patient’s changing condition, recognising intraoperative complications and responding promptly
Maintain ‘Surgical conscious’
All staff other than those ‘scrubbed, gowned and gloved’ must remain at least 30cm from the sterile field and equipment at all times

Question 5

What does surgical count mean

Answer 5

the process of counting any item that may however remote be retained in a patient during a surgical procedure

Question 6

What is Suxamethonium chloride used for?

Answer 6

Used to stop muscles moving during surgery or medical procedures.
Works by stopping messages being sent from the nerves to the muscles. Nicotinic agonist that binds to receptors, resulting in persistent stimulation while maintaining depolarisation at motor end-plate.

Question 7

What is propofol used for?

Answer 7

Slows the activity of brain & nervous system
To induce & maintain general anaesthesia for surgery & other medical procedures.
Used to sedate pt in critical care being mechanically ventilated

Question 8

What is Thiopentone sodium used for

Answer 8

Depresses CNS to produce hypnosis and anaesthesia without analgesia.

Question 9

What is Bupivacaine used for

Answer 9

Analgesia post surgical
Blocks both the initiation and conduction of nerve impulses by decreasing the neuronal membrane’s permeability to sodium ions, which results in inhibition of depolarization with resultant blockade of conduction