RRB Staff Nurse flashcards

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

Normal adult pulse range

A resting adult pulse is 60 to 100 beats per minute. Count for a full minute if the rhythm is irregular, and report rates below 60 (bradycardia) or above 100 (tachycardia).

Six rights of medication

Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time and right documentation. Modern practice adds the right reason and the patient's right to refuse any dose.

Pressure ulcer stage III

Full-thickness skin loss extending into subcutaneous fat, but not through fascia. Muscle, tendon and bone are not exposed; this distinguishes it from stage IV injury.

Cardiac output formula

Cardiac output equals heart rate multiplied by stroke volume. Normal resting output is 4 to 8 litres per minute, with a stroke volume of roughly 70 millilitres.

Functional unit of kidney

The nephron, about one million per kidney. It filters plasma at the glomerulus, then reabsorbs and secretes along the tubule to form urine.

Surfactant and alveolar cells

Type II alveolar cells secrete surfactant, which lowers surface tension and prevents alveolar collapse at end-expiration. Deficiency in premature infants causes respiratory distress syndrome.

Myocardial infarction triad

Chest pain lasting over 20 minutes and unrelieved by rest, ischaemic ECG changes such as ST elevation, and raised troponin. Aspirin is chewed immediately unless contraindicated.

Parkland burn formula

Give 4 mL of lactated Ringer's per kilogram body weight per percent total body surface area burned in 24 hours. Half is given in the first 8 hours from the time of injury.

Diabetic ketoacidosis criteria

Glucose above 250 mg/dL, arterial pH below 7.3, bicarbonate below 18 mEq/L and positive ketones. Treat with saline, insulin infusion and potassium replacement as guided by levels.

Naegele's rule

Estimated delivery date equals the first day of the last menstrual period plus 7 days, minus 3 months, plus 1 year. It assumes a regular 28-day cycle.

APGAR score components

Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Respiration, each scored 0 to 2 at 1 and 5 minutes. A total of 7 to 10 is normal; 0 to 3 needs immediate resuscitation.

Holliday-Segar fluid rule

Paediatric maintenance fluid is 100 mL/kg for the first 10 kg, 50 mL/kg for the next 10 kg, and 20 mL/kg for every kilogram above 20.

Herd immunity threshold

The proportion needing immunity equals 1 minus 1 divided by R0. Measles with R0 around 12 to 18 therefore requires roughly 92 to 95 percent coverage.

Incidence versus prevalence

Incidence counts new cases arising in a defined period. Prevalence counts all existing cases at one point. For stable disease, prevalence approximates incidence multiplied by duration.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome

A rare reaction to antipsychotics with rigidity, fever above 38 °C, autonomic instability and raised creatine kinase. Stop the drug and give dantrolene or bromocriptine with cooling.

Lithium therapeutic range

Serum lithium should stay between 0.6 and 1.2 mEq/L. Toxicity shows coarse tremor, vomiting and ataxia; dehydration and low sodium raise levels dangerously.

Gram stain principle

Gram-positive bacteria retain crystal violet and appear purple because of thick peptidoglycan. Gram-negative bacteria decolourise and take the pink safranin counterstain.

Autoclave standard settings

Steam sterilisation at 121 °C under 15 psi pressure for 15 to 20 minutes. It kills spores, unlike alcohol disinfection, and is used for dressings and instruments.

Paracetamol antidote

N-acetylcysteine, given intravenously or orally. It replenishes glutathione and is most effective within 8 hours of overdose; liver function and INR guide continued treatment.

Digoxin toxicity features

Nausea, vomiting, yellow-green visual halos and arrhythmias. The therapeutic range is 0.5 to 2 ng/mL, and hypokalaemia increases the risk of toxicity.

Adult CPR compression ratio

Thirty chest compressions to two rescue breaths, at 100 to 120 per minute, with a depth of 5 to 6 cm. Allow full chest recoil and use an AED as soon as available.

Body mass index formula

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Under 18.5 is underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 normal, 25 to 29.9 overweight, and 30 or above obese.

Span of control

The number of subordinates one manager directly supervises. Narrow spans suit complex specialised work; wide spans suit routine tasks. A head nurse usually supervises 15 to 25 staff.

Four ethical principles

Autonomy respects patient choice, beneficence promotes good, non-maleficence avoids harm, and justice ensures fair distribution of care. These guide clinical decisions in conflict.

Informed consent elements

Capacity to decide, adequate information about risks and alternatives, voluntary choice free of coercion, and documented agreement. Emergency life-saving care may proceed without it.

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY

A government health insurance scheme giving eligible families cover of five lakh rupees per year for secondary and tertiary hospital care, with no cap on family size or age.

Number of railway zones

Indian Railways has 18 zones including Kolkata Metro. Each zone is headed by a General Manager and reports to the Railway Board under the Ministry of Railways.

Simple interest formula

Simple interest equals principal multiplied by rate multiplied by time, divided by 100. A sum doubles under simple interest when rate times time equals 100.

Compound interest difference rule

For two years, compound interest minus simple interest equals principal multiplied by the square of rate divided by 100. This shortcut avoids full calculation.

Syllogism validity test

A conclusion follows only if true in every possible Venn diagram of the premises. Draw all arrangements; a single counter-diagram makes the conclusion invalid.

Ranking total formula

Total people equals rank from the top plus rank from the bottom minus one. If two people swap ranks, the change in ranks reveals the total strength.

RAM versus ROM

RAM is volatile working memory that loses contents when power is off. ROM is non-volatile and holds firmware. Eight bits make one byte, and 1024 bytes make one kilobyte.