1.Easy
Why is nail varnish or a gel nail often removed from at least one finger before surgery?
- ABecause it is a checklist rule with no clinical reason
- BBecause varnish raises the patient's blood pressure
- CSo pulse oximetry readings and nail colour can be assessed accurately
- DBecause the varnish can make the anaesthetic gas less effective
2.Easy
What is slough in a wound?
- ARed, healthy granulation tissue
- BYellow, soft, stringy dead tissue
- CPink, new skin at the wound edge
- DA thick, hard black crust
3.Easy
What is a PEG tube?
- AA catheter placed in a large vein for medicines
- BA drain placed in the chest to remove air
- CA thin tube passed through the nose and down into the small bowel area
- DA feeding tube placed through the abdominal wall into the stomach
4.Medium
Which wound drain observation should be reported immediately?
- ADrainage slowly falling each day
- BSmall amounts of pink serous fluid
- CA sudden large volume of fresh red blood
- DA little dried blood around the drain site
5.Medium
Which is a common side effect of opioids, especially when given by epidural or spinal route?
- AItching
- BHair growth
- CRinging in the ears
- DIncreased hunger
6.Medium
Why are antiemetics usually given before chemotherapy starts?
- AThey stop the chemotherapy from causing hair loss and mouth sores
- BThey cannot be given once nausea has started
- CPreventing nausea works better than treating it later
- DAntiemetics make the chemotherapy work better
7.Hard
A patient with a permanent pacemaker is booked for surgery using monopolar diathermy. Why must the team know?
- AThe patient cannot have any anaesthetic at all
- BPacemakers stop all bleeding during surgery
- CDiathermy can interfere with the pacemaker's function
- DThe pacemaker will always be removed during surgery
8.Hard
A patient with a sacral pressure ulcer keeps sliding down the bed when the head is raised high. Which advice best reduces shear?
- AKeep the head of the bed at or below 30° if possible; use slide sheets
- BUse a dry sheet and drag the patient up the bed
- CSit the patient upright without any support for the feet
- DRaise the head of the bed to 90° and pull the patient up the bed by the arms
Answer key
- 1. C · So pulse oximetry readings and nail colour can be assessed accurately
- 2. B · Yellow, soft, stringy dead tissue
- 3. D · A feeding tube placed through the abdominal wall into the stomach
- 4. C · A sudden large volume of fresh red blood
- 5. A · Itching
- 6. C · Preventing nausea works better than treating it later
- 7. C · Diathermy can interfere with the pacemaker's function
- 8. A · Keep the head of the bed at or below 30° if possible; use slide sheets
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