Key Concepts
What are the three phases of perioperative care?
Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative.
What must be confirmed is signed before preoperative sedatives are given?
Surgical consent.
What is the key feature of general anesthesia?
Loss of sensation, reflexes, and consciousness.
Name two causes or contributors to intraoperative hypothermia.
cool OR, cold IV fluids, cool inhaled gases, exposed body surfaces, open wounds, or prolonged activity.
What is the first priority in immediate postoperative assessment?
Airway patency and effective respirations.
What should the nurse assess when a client is anxious before surgery?
Ask about concerns and maintain contact with the client.
What is ambulatory surgery?
Same-day or outpatient surgery.
Name two topics to include in preoperative teaching.
Pain control, deep breathing/coughing, incentive spirometry, leg/foot exercises, lines/tubes, or postanesthesia monitoring.
Name the two intraoperative nursing roles listed.
Scrub nurse and circulating nurse.
What should be tracked to help identify fluid volume excess or deficit?
IV fluids and urine output.
What does the Aldrete scale relate to in this chapter?
Postanesthesia recovery assessment.
Name two interventions for postoperative abdominal distention.
Ambulation, frequent position changes, and advancing diet as appropriate.
Name two factors that affect surgical risk.
Examples: procedure performed, age, and coexisting medical conditions.
Name two risk factors reviewed during preoperative assessment.
Age, nutritional status, alcohol/tobacco use, physical condition.
What are the three designated operating-room zones?
Unrestricted, semi-restricted, and restricted.
What injury risk can result from prolonged pressure during surgery?
Position-related injury, including nerve injury.
Name two items assessed in the surgical wound/dressing/drain area.
Wound condition, dressing, and drain output/condition.
What may bladder distention look like after surgery?
Restlessness and lower abdominal discomfort.
What is the overall nursing goal before surgery?
Reduce anxiety and prepare the client for surgery.
Why might older adults need repeated teaching demonstrations?
Hearing, vision, or understanding may be diminished.
Name two items monitored during intraoperative assessment.
blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, level of consciousness, physical condition, catheters/tubes, and the medical record.
For a client recovering from procedural sedation, what helps prevent injury?
Assist with ambulation and carefully monitor activities.
Name two signs of possible wound infection from the slides.
increased incisional pain, redness, swelling, warmth, purulent drainage, or fever.
What should discharge instructions include?
Verbal and written instructions tailored to care needs, supplies, diet, home environment, and pain medications.
A client can safely defer a procedure and may benefit from it. What type is it?
Elective surgery.
Give two physical preparation tasks listed in the slides.
Skin preparation, NPO/clear-liquid instructions, valuables care, removal of makeup/nail polish, or management of prostheses.
What is surgical asepsis intended to prevent?
Infection.
Name two early postoperative complications nurses monitor for.
hemorrhage, shock, hypoxia, and aspiration.
What is the difference between dehiscence and evisceration?
Dehiscence is separation of a wound; evisceration is protrusion of internal organs/tissue through the wound.
What is the purpose of teach-back?
To check understanding and clarify what the client needs to learn.