ABA BASIC cheat sheet

Poiseuille law: laminar flow ∝ ΔP·r⁴/(η·L); doubling a tube's radius raises flow 16-fold, while doubling length halves it.

Laplace law for alveoli: wall tension = pressure × radius; without surfactant, small alveoli have higher collapsing pressure and empty into larger ones.

MAC is the alveolar concentration at 1 atm preventing movement in 50% of subjects; MAC values are roughly additive (0.5 MAC A + 0.5 MAC B ≈ 1 MAC).

First-order elimination: half-life = 0.693 × volume of distribution / clearance; context-sensitive half-time lengthens with infusion duration for lipophilic drugs.

Henderson-Hasselbalch: pH = pKa + log([base]/[acid]); a drug is 50% ionized when pH equals its pKa, determining lipid solubility and ion trapping.

Arterial oxygen content: CaO2 = 1.34 × Hb × SaO2 + 0.003 × PaO2; oxygen delivery = cardiac output × CaO2.

Cerebral blood flow is about 50 mL/100 g/min and changes roughly 4% per mmHg PaCO2 within 20–80 mmHg; hypocapnia causes vasoconstriction.

The right mainstem bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical, so aspiration and endobronchial intubation occur more often on the right.

Frank-Starling: stroke volume rises with preload until sarcomere stretch is optimal; beyond that point, further filling does not increase output.

ASA physical status: I healthy; II mild systemic disease; III severe disease; IV severe disease with constant threat to life; V moribund; VI brain-dead organ donor; suffix E for emergency.

Predictors of difficult laryngoscopy include Mallampati III–IV, thyromental distance <6 cm, mouth opening <3 cm, and limited cervical extension.

Succinylcholine 1–1.5 mg/kg IV: onset 30–60 s, duration 5–10 min; avoid in burns >24–48 h, crush injury, denervation, hyperkalemia, and malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.

Rocuronium 1.2 mg/kg provides intubating conditions in about 60 s; sugammadex 16 mg/kg reverses a rapid-sequence dose.

Propofol 1.5–2.5 mg/kg induces anesthesia by decreasing systemic vascular resistance and myocardial contractility; boluses can cause apnea and hypotension.

Local anesthetic systemic toxicity: stop injection, secure airway with 100% oxygen, treat seizures with benzodiazepine, and give 20% lipid emulsion 1.5 mL/kg then 0.25 mL/kg/min.

Train-of-four ratio ≥0.9 at the adductor pollicis indicates adequate recovery from neuromuscular blockade; clinical signs alone are unreliable.

Topical benzocaine and other oxidants can cause methemoglobinemia; methylene blue 1–2 mg/kg IV is the treatment for symptomatic or severe cases.

Rapid-sequence induction with preoxygenation, cricoid pressure (if used), and avoidance of mask ventilation reduces aspiration risk in patients with full stomach.

Spinal anesthesia hypotension is treated with left uterine displacement in obstetric patients, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors; phenylephrine is preferred during cesarean delivery.

Pediatric uncuffed endotracheal tube size (mm ID) ≈ age/4 + 4; cuffed tube ≈ age/4 + 3.5.

Neonates have oxygen consumption of 6–8 mL/kg/min and small functional residual capacity, causing rapid desaturation during apnea.

Lung-protective one-lung ventilation: tidal volume 4–6 mL/kg predicted body weight, PEEP 5 cmH2O, plateau pressure <25–30 cmH2O.

Cardiopulmonary bypass: heparin 300–400 units/kg with target ACT 400–480 s; protamine 1–1.3 mg per 100 units heparin reverses anticoagulation.

Hyperventilation to PaCO2 30–35 mmHg lowers intracranial pressure by cerebral vasoconstriction; the effect is transient and may cause ischemia.

After 20 weeks gestation, left uterine displacement relieves aortocaval compression and improves venous return during anesthesia.

Pediatric fasting per ASA: clear fluids 2 h, breast milk 4 h, infant formula 6 h, light meal 6 h before elective anesthesia.

For cesarean delivery, general anesthesia requires aspiration prophylaxis, left uterine displacement, and rapid-sequence induction with succinylcholine or high-dose rocuronium.

Hand hygiene before and after patient contact is the single most effective measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist has three phases (sign in, time out, sign out) and reduces surgical morbidity and mortality.

Continuous capnography is mandatory to confirm and monitor endotracheal tube placement; a flat waveform suggests esophageal intubation or absent perfusion.

Malignant hyperthermia treatment: stop triggers, dantrolene 2.5 mg/kg IV repeated as needed, 100% oxygen, active cooling, and treat hyperkalemia/acidosis.

Surgical fire requires oxidizer, fuel, and ignition; lower FiO2 to the minimum needed and avoid nitrous oxide when ignition sources are near.

Perioperative anaphylaxis: stop the trigger, give epinephrine 10–100 mcg IV bolus (0.3–0.5 mg IM if no IV), and infuse crystalloid.

Anesthesia machine checkout includes oxygen analyzer calibration, fail-safe and alarm tests, scavenging, and availability of a self-inflating bag.

Medication errors are reduced by standardized syringe labels, read-back of verbal orders, and separating look-alike/sound-alike drugs.

Sentinel events trigger root-cause analysis; voluntary incident reporting systems identify system flaws without assigning individual blame.

Valid informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of risks/benefits/alternatives, comprehension, and voluntariness.

HIPAA permits disclosure of protected health information only for treatment, payment, or operations, or with authorization, and only the minimum necessary.

Physicians must disclose financial conflicts of interest to patients, institutions, and research oversight bodies.

Suspected impairment that endangers patients is reported to the state medical board or physician health program.

Intraoperative do-not-resuscitate orders should be reviewed and reaffirmed with the patient or surrogate because many events are reversible.

Disclosing medical errors promptly and honestly is an ethical duty; apology laws in many states protect expressions of regret.

Professionalism includes punctuality, respectful communication, teamwork, and maintaining boundaries with patients and colleagues.

Physicians have a duty to report incompetent or unethical colleagues through appropriate peer-review or regulatory channels.

Advance directives should be documented and available; surrogate decision-makers apply substituted judgment.

Revised Cardiac Risk Index predictors: high-risk surgery, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, insulin-requiring diabetes, and creatinine >2.0 mg/dL.

Continue chronic beta-blockers perioperatively; do not initiate high-dose beta-blockers on the day of surgery because it increases stroke and mortality.

Perioperative hyperglycemia is managed to roughly 140–180 mg/dL with insulin, avoiding hypoglycemia.

VTE risk is stratified with the Caprini score; combine mechanical and pharmacologic prophylaxis for high-risk surgical patients.

Continue aspirin for secondary prevention in most patients, especially those with coronary stents; do not stop dual antiplatelet therapy without cardiology input.

Apfel score predicts PONV from female sex, nonsmoking, history of PONV/motion sickness, and postoperative opioids.

Enhanced recovery pathways use multimodal analgesia, carbohydrate loading, early feeding, and avoidance of prolonged fasting.

Most perioperative myocardial infarctions occur within 48–72 hours; troponin surveillance detects them.

Restrictive transfusion threshold is hemoglobin 7 g/dL for stable patients, with 8 g/dL considered for some cardiac or orthopedic populations.

Poiseuille law: laminar flow ∝ ΔP·r⁴/(η·L); doubling a tube's radius raises flow 16-fold, while doubling length halves it.

Laplace law for alveoli: wall tension = pressure × radius; without surfactant, small alveoli have higher collapsing pressure and empty into larger ones.

MAC is the alveolar concentration at 1 atm preventing movement in 50% of subjects; MAC values are roughly additive (0.5 MAC A + 0.5 MAC B ≈ 1 MAC).

First-order elimination: half-life = 0.693 × volume of distribution / clearance; context-sensitive half-time lengthens with infusion duration for lipophilic drugs.

Henderson-Hasselbalch: pH = pKa + log([base]/[acid]); a drug is 50% ionized when pH equals its pKa, determining lipid solubility and ion trapping.

Arterial oxygen content: CaO2 = 1.34 × Hb × SaO2 + 0.003 × PaO2; oxygen delivery = cardiac output × CaO2.

Cerebral blood flow is about 50 mL/100 g/min and changes roughly 4% per mmHg PaCO2 within 20–80 mmHg; hypocapnia causes vasoconstriction.

The right mainstem bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical, so aspiration and endobronchial intubation occur more often on the right.

Frank-Starling: stroke volume rises with preload until sarcomere stretch is optimal; beyond that point, further filling does not increase output.

ASA physical status: I healthy; II mild systemic disease; III severe disease; IV severe disease with constant threat to life; V moribund; VI brain-dead organ donor; suffix E for emergency.

Predictors of difficult laryngoscopy include Mallampati III–IV, thyromental distance <6 cm, mouth opening <3 cm, and limited cervical extension.

Succinylcholine 1–1.5 mg/kg IV: onset 30–60 s, duration 5–10 min; avoid in burns >24–48 h, crush injury, denervation, hyperkalemia, and malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.

Rocuronium 1.2 mg/kg provides intubating conditions in about 60 s; sugammadex 16 mg/kg reverses a rapid-sequence dose.

Propofol 1.5–2.5 mg/kg induces anesthesia by decreasing systemic vascular resistance and myocardial contractility; boluses can cause apnea and hypotension.

Local anesthetic systemic toxicity: stop injection, secure airway with 100% oxygen, treat seizures with benzodiazepine, and give 20% lipid emulsion 1.5 mL/kg then 0.25 mL/kg/min.

Train-of-four ratio ≥0.9 at the adductor pollicis indicates adequate recovery from neuromuscular blockade; clinical signs alone are unreliable.

Topical benzocaine and other oxidants can cause methemoglobinemia; methylene blue 1–2 mg/kg IV is the treatment for symptomatic or severe cases.

Rapid-sequence induction with preoxygenation, cricoid pressure (if used), and avoidance of mask ventilation reduces aspiration risk in patients with full stomach.

Spinal anesthesia hypotension is treated with left uterine displacement in obstetric patients, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors; phenylephrine is preferred during cesarean delivery.

Pediatric uncuffed endotracheal tube size (mm ID) ≈ age/4 + 4; cuffed tube ≈ age/4 + 3.5.

Neonates have oxygen consumption of 6–8 mL/kg/min and small functional residual capacity, causing rapid desaturation during apnea.

Lung-protective one-lung ventilation: tidal volume 4–6 mL/kg predicted body weight, PEEP 5 cmH2O, plateau pressure <25–30 cmH2O.

Cardiopulmonary bypass: heparin 300–400 units/kg with target ACT 400–480 s; protamine 1–1.3 mg per 100 units heparin reverses anticoagulation.

Hyperventilation to PaCO2 30–35 mmHg lowers intracranial pressure by cerebral vasoconstriction; the effect is transient and may cause ischemia.

After 20 weeks gestation, left uterine displacement relieves aortocaval compression and improves venous return during anesthesia.

Pediatric fasting per ASA: clear fluids 2 h, breast milk 4 h, infant formula 6 h, light meal 6 h before elective anesthesia.

For cesarean delivery, general anesthesia requires aspiration prophylaxis, left uterine displacement, and rapid-sequence induction with succinylcholine or high-dose rocuronium.

Hand hygiene before and after patient contact is the single most effective measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist has three phases (sign in, time out, sign out) and reduces surgical morbidity and mortality.

Continuous capnography is mandatory to confirm and monitor endotracheal tube placement; a flat waveform suggests esophageal intubation or absent perfusion.

Malignant hyperthermia treatment: stop triggers, dantrolene 2.5 mg/kg IV repeated as needed, 100% oxygen, active cooling, and treat hyperkalemia/acidosis.

Surgical fire requires oxidizer, fuel, and ignition; lower FiO2 to the minimum needed and avoid nitrous oxide when ignition sources are near.

Perioperative anaphylaxis: stop the trigger, give epinephrine 10–100 mcg IV bolus (0.3–0.5 mg IM if no IV), and infuse crystalloid.

Anesthesia machine checkout includes oxygen analyzer calibration, fail-safe and alarm tests, scavenging, and availability of a self-inflating bag.

Medication errors are reduced by standardized syringe labels, read-back of verbal orders, and separating look-alike/sound-alike drugs.

Sentinel events trigger root-cause analysis; voluntary incident reporting systems identify system flaws without assigning individual blame.

Valid informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of risks/benefits/alternatives, comprehension, and voluntariness.

HIPAA permits disclosure of protected health information only for treatment, payment, or operations, or with authorization, and only the minimum necessary.

Physicians must disclose financial conflicts of interest to patients, institutions, and research oversight bodies.

Suspected impairment that endangers patients is reported to the state medical board or physician health program.

Intraoperative do-not-resuscitate orders should be reviewed and reaffirmed with the patient or surrogate because many events are reversible.

Disclosing medical errors promptly and honestly is an ethical duty; apology laws in many states protect expressions of regret.

Professionalism includes punctuality, respectful communication, teamwork, and maintaining boundaries with patients and colleagues.

Physicians have a duty to report incompetent or unethical colleagues through appropriate peer-review or regulatory channels.

Advance directives should be documented and available; surrogate decision-makers apply substituted judgment.

Revised Cardiac Risk Index predictors: high-risk surgery, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, insulin-requiring diabetes, and creatinine >2.0 mg/dL.

Continue chronic beta-blockers perioperatively; do not initiate high-dose beta-blockers on the day of surgery because it increases stroke and mortality.

Perioperative hyperglycemia is managed to roughly 140–180 mg/dL with insulin, avoiding hypoglycemia.

VTE risk is stratified with the Caprini score; combine mechanical and pharmacologic prophylaxis for high-risk surgical patients.

Continue aspirin for secondary prevention in most patients, especially those with coronary stents; do not stop dual antiplatelet therapy without cardiology input.

Apfel score predicts PONV from female sex, nonsmoking, history of PONV/motion sickness, and postoperative opioids.

Enhanced recovery pathways use multimodal analgesia, carbohydrate loading, early feeding, and avoidance of prolonged fasting.

Most perioperative myocardial infarctions occur within 48–72 hours; troponin surveillance detects them.

Restrictive transfusion threshold is hemoglobin 7 g/dL for stable patients, with 8 g/dL considered for some cardiac or orthopedic populations.

Poiseuille law: laminar flow ∝ ΔP·r⁴/(η·L); doubling a tube's radius raises flow 16-fold, while doubling length halves it.

Laplace law for alveoli: wall tension = pressure × radius; without surfactant, small alveoli have higher collapsing pressure and empty into larger ones.

MAC is the alveolar concentration at 1 atm preventing movement in 50% of subjects; MAC values are roughly additive (0.5 MAC A + 0.5 MAC B ≈ 1 MAC).

First-order elimination: half-life = 0.693 × volume of distribution / clearance; context-sensitive half-time lengthens with infusion duration for lipophilic drugs.

Henderson-Hasselbalch: pH = pKa + log([base]/[acid]); a drug is 50% ionized when pH equals its pKa, determining lipid solubility and ion trapping.

Arterial oxygen content: CaO2 = 1.34 × Hb × SaO2 + 0.003 × PaO2; oxygen delivery = cardiac output × CaO2.

Cerebral blood flow is about 50 mL/100 g/min and changes roughly 4% per mmHg PaCO2 within 20–80 mmHg; hypocapnia causes vasoconstriction.

The right mainstem bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical, so aspiration and endobronchial intubation occur more often on the right.

Frank-Starling: stroke volume rises with preload until sarcomere stretch is optimal; beyond that point, further filling does not increase output.

ASA physical status: I healthy; II mild systemic disease; III severe disease; IV severe disease with constant threat to life; V moribund; VI brain-dead organ donor; suffix E for emergency.

Predictors of difficult laryngoscopy include Mallampati III–IV, thyromental distance <6 cm, mouth opening <3 cm, and limited cervical extension.

Succinylcholine 1–1.5 mg/kg IV: onset 30–60 s, duration 5–10 min; avoid in burns >24–48 h, crush injury, denervation, hyperkalemia, and malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.

Rocuronium 1.2 mg/kg provides intubating conditions in about 60 s; sugammadex 16 mg/kg reverses a rapid-sequence dose.

Propofol 1.5–2.5 mg/kg induces anesthesia by decreasing systemic vascular resistance and myocardial contractility; boluses can cause apnea and hypotension.

Local anesthetic systemic toxicity: stop injection, secure airway with 100% oxygen, treat seizures with benzodiazepine, and give 20% lipid emulsion 1.5 mL/kg then 0.25 mL/kg/min.

Train-of-four ratio ≥0.9 at the adductor pollicis indicates adequate recovery from neuromuscular blockade; clinical signs alone are unreliable.

Topical benzocaine and other oxidants can cause methemoglobinemia; methylene blue 1–2 mg/kg IV is the treatment for symptomatic or severe cases.

Rapid-sequence induction with preoxygenation, cricoid pressure (if used), and avoidance of mask ventilation reduces aspiration risk in patients with full stomach.

Spinal anesthesia hypotension is treated with left uterine displacement in obstetric patients, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors; phenylephrine is preferred during cesarean delivery.

Pediatric uncuffed endotracheal tube size (mm ID) ≈ age/4 + 4; cuffed tube ≈ age/4 + 3.5.

Neonates have oxygen consumption of 6–8 mL/kg/min and small functional residual capacity, causing rapid desaturation during apnea.

Lung-protective one-lung ventilation: tidal volume 4–6 mL/kg predicted body weight, PEEP 5 cmH2O, plateau pressure <25–30 cmH2O.

Cardiopulmonary bypass: heparin 300–400 units/kg with target ACT 400–480 s; protamine 1–1.3 mg per 100 units heparin reverses anticoagulation.

Hyperventilation to PaCO2 30–35 mmHg lowers intracranial pressure by cerebral vasoconstriction; the effect is transient and may cause ischemia.

After 20 weeks gestation, left uterine displacement relieves aortocaval compression and improves venous return during anesthesia.

Pediatric fasting per ASA: clear fluids 2 h, breast milk 4 h, infant formula 6 h, light meal 6 h before elective anesthesia.

For cesarean delivery, general anesthesia requires aspiration prophylaxis, left uterine displacement, and rapid-sequence induction with succinylcholine or high-dose rocuronium.

Hand hygiene before and after patient contact is the single most effective measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist has three phases (sign in, time out, sign out) and reduces surgical morbidity and mortality.

Continuous capnography is mandatory to confirm and monitor endotracheal tube placement; a flat waveform suggests esophageal intubation or absent perfusion.

Malignant hyperthermia treatment: stop triggers, dantrolene 2.5 mg/kg IV repeated as needed, 100% oxygen, active cooling, and treat hyperkalemia/acidosis.

Surgical fire requires oxidizer, fuel, and ignition; lower FiO2 to the minimum needed and avoid nitrous oxide when ignition sources are near.

Perioperative anaphylaxis: stop the trigger, give epinephrine 10–100 mcg IV bolus (0.3–0.5 mg IM if no IV), and infuse crystalloid.

Anesthesia machine checkout includes oxygen analyzer calibration, fail-safe and alarm tests, scavenging, and availability of a self-inflating bag.

Medication errors are reduced by standardized syringe labels, read-back of verbal orders, and separating look-alike/sound-alike drugs.

Sentinel events trigger root-cause analysis; voluntary incident reporting systems identify system flaws without assigning individual blame.

Valid informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of risks/benefits/alternatives, comprehension, and voluntariness.

HIPAA permits disclosure of protected health information only for treatment, payment, or operations, or with authorization, and only the minimum necessary.

Physicians must disclose financial conflicts of interest to patients, institutions, and research oversight bodies.

Suspected impairment that endangers patients is reported to the state medical board or physician health program.

Intraoperative do-not-resuscitate orders should be reviewed and reaffirmed with the patient or surrogate because many events are reversible.

Disclosing medical errors promptly and honestly is an ethical duty; apology laws in many states protect expressions of regret.

Professionalism includes punctuality, respectful communication, teamwork, and maintaining boundaries with patients and colleagues.

Physicians have a duty to report incompetent or unethical colleagues through appropriate peer-review or regulatory channels.

Advance directives should be documented and available; surrogate decision-makers apply substituted judgment.

Revised Cardiac Risk Index predictors: high-risk surgery, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, insulin-requiring diabetes, and creatinine >2.0 mg/dL.

Continue chronic beta-blockers perioperatively; do not initiate high-dose beta-blockers on the day of surgery because it increases stroke and mortality.

Perioperative hyperglycemia is managed to roughly 140–180 mg/dL with insulin, avoiding hypoglycemia.

VTE risk is stratified with the Caprini score; combine mechanical and pharmacologic prophylaxis for high-risk surgical patients.

Continue aspirin for secondary prevention in most patients, especially those with coronary stents; do not stop dual antiplatelet therapy without cardiology input.

Apfel score predicts PONV from female sex, nonsmoking, history of PONV/motion sickness, and postoperative opioids.

Enhanced recovery pathways use multimodal analgesia, carbohydrate loading, early feeding, and avoidance of prolonged fasting.

Most perioperative myocardial infarctions occur within 48–72 hours; troponin surveillance detects them.

Restrictive transfusion threshold is hemoglobin 7 g/dL for stable patients, with 8 g/dL considered for some cardiac or orthopedic populations.