Cer.A.T.T. flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Pin Index Safety System

A cylinder-specific arrangement of two pins on the yoke that mates with matching holes in the valve, preventing attachment of an incorrect gas cylinder.

Nitrous oxide cylinder pressure

A nitrous oxide cylinder reads about 745 psi at room temperature and holds that pressure until the liquid is exhausted, so pressure does not reflect remaining volume.

Low-pressure leak test

With the machine off and the common gas outlet occluded, the system from flowmeters to outlet must hold pressure as specified; failure to hold pressure indicates a leak.

Oxygen failure safety device

A machine mechanism that sounds an alarm and shuts off nitrous oxide and other gases when oxygen supply pressure falls, preventing delivery of a hypoxic mixture.

End-tidal CO2 normal range

In a healthy spontaneously breathing adult, end-tidal carbon dioxide is normally 35 to 45 mmHg, closely approximating arterial carbon dioxide when ventilation-perfusion matching is normal.

Train-of-four ratio

Four supramaximal ulnar nerve stimuli are delivered at 2 Hz; a ratio of the fourth to first twitch above 0.9 indicates adequate recovery from nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade.

Phlebostatic axis

The reference point for zeroing an arterial or central venous transducer, located at the fourth intercostal space in the midaxillary line, approximating the level of the right atrium.

SpO2 of 90 percent

On the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, a saturation of 90 percent corresponds to a PaO2 of about 60 mmHg, the beginning of the steep portion of the curve.

Sevoflurane MAC

The minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane in oxygen that prevents movement in 50 percent of patients in response to surgical stimulation is approximately 2 percent in adults.

Sugammadex reversal dosing

Sugammadex reverses rocuronium at 2 mg/kg for a train-of-four count of 2, 4 mg/kg for post-tetanic count 1 to 2, and 16 mg/kg for immediate reversal after a large dose.

Lipid emulsion for LAST

For local anesthetic systemic toxicity, give 20 percent lipid emulsion as a 1.5 mL/kg bolus followed by an infusion of 0.25 mL/kg/min until hemodynamic stability returns.

Lidocaine maximum dose

Without epinephrine the maximum recommended lidocaine dose is about 4.5 mg/kg; with epinephrine it rises to roughly 7 mg/kg because vasoconstriction slows systemic absorption.

Pediatric uncuffed tube size

For children older than about 1 year, uncuffed endotracheal tube internal diameter in millimeters is estimated as age in years divided by 4 plus 4.

Gold standard tube confirmation

Continuous waveform capnography is the most reliable confirmation of endotracheal tube placement; it detects exhaled carbon dioxide with every breath and falls to zero in esophageal intubation.

Preoxygenation purpose

Replacing alveolar nitrogen with oxygen creates a reservoir that prolongs the safe apnea period, typically allowing 3 to 5 minutes of apnea before desaturation in a healthy adult.

Difficult mask ventilation MOANS

The MOANS mnemonic predicts difficult mask ventilation: Mask seal, Obesity, Age over 55, No teeth, and Snores or stiffness of the lungs.

Spaulding classification

Medical devices are classified as critical, semicritical, or noncritical according to infection risk; critical items enter sterile tissue and must be sterilized before use.

Surgical hand antisepsis duration

An alcohol-based surgical hand rub is applied for 2 to 5 minutes per manufacturer instructions, covering hands and forearms, while a traditional scrub typically takes 3 to 5 minutes.

High-efficiency breathing filter

A hydrophobic bacterial-viral filter with 0.2 micron pores placed between the patient and the circuit reduces cross-contamination and is changed when wet or per policy.

Needlestick immediate action

After a contaminated needlestick, wash the site with soap and water, do not squeeze or scrub, report immediately, and begin post-exposure evaluation for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

ASA Physical Status I

ASA class I describes a healthy, nonsmoking patient without systemic disease, which carries the lowest perioperative risk among the ASA physical status classes.

Dantrolene for hyperthermia

Malignant hyperthermia is treated with intravenous dantrolene 2.5 mg/kg, repeated until symptoms abate up to a total of 10 mg/kg, along with hyperventilation, cooling, and stopping the trigger.

Universal Protocol time-out

Before starting a procedure, the team confirms patient identity, procedure, site, and consent in a verbal pause that includes the entire team and is documented in the record.

Root cause analysis

A structured, systems-focused review conducted after a sentinel event that identifies contributing factors and produces an action plan to prevent recurrence rather than assigning individual blame.

SBAR handoff

SBAR structures clinical communication into Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, reducing omissions and errors during handoffs between anesthesia providers and the recovery team.

Informed consent elements

Valid consent requires the patient to be competent, informed of the nature and risks of the procedure and its alternatives, and free of coercion, documented before sedation begins.

Controlled substance wasting

Unused narcotic is discarded in the presence of a second licensed witness who verifies the amount, and both clinicians document the waste on the controlled-substance record.

Scope of practice

The tasks an anesthesia technologist may legally perform as defined by state law, facility policy, and certification standards, without exceeding delegated responsibility or independent clinical decision-making.

Epinephrine in cardiac arrest

During adult cardiac arrest, 1 mg epinephrine as 10 mL of 1:10,000 is given intravenously every 3 to 5 minutes, with rhythm checks every 2 minutes.

Anaphylaxis intramuscular epinephrine

First-line treatment of perioperative anaphylaxis is epinephrine 0.3 to 0.5 mg intramuscularly of the 1:1000 concentration, repeated every 5 to 15 minutes as needed.

Operating room fire response

On an airway fire, immediately stop the gas flow, remove the tracheal tube, extinguish burning material with saline, and ventilate the patient with air while assessing the airway.

Malignant hyperthermia triggers

Volatile anesthetics and the depolarizing muscle relaxant succinylcholine trigger malignant hyperthermia by causing uncontrolled calcium release from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum.