Immediate post-anesthesia care — MCQs

A 25-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 3 hours after rescuing babies and puppies from a burning daycare center. He complains of headache and nausea, which he attributes to running. He is breathing comfortably. What is another likely finding in this patient?

A 23-year-old woman presents to the emergency department after being found unresponsive by her friends. The patient is an IV drug user and her friends came over and found her passed out in her room. The patient presented to the emergency department 2 days ago after being involved in a bar fight where she broke her nose and had it treated and packed with gauze. Her temperature is 99.3°F (37.4°C), blood pressure is 90/48 mmHg, pulse is 150/min, respirations are 24/min, and oxygen saturation is 97% on room air. Physical exam is notable for an obtunded woman with nasal packing and EKG tags from her last hospital stay, as well as a purpuric rash on her arms and legs. Her arms have track marks on them and blisters. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

A 75-year-old man with a 35-pack-year history of smoking is found to be lethargic three days after being admitted with a femur fracture following a motor vehicle accident. His recovery has been progressing well thus far, though pain continued to be present. On exam, the patient is minimally responsive with pinpoint pupils. Vital signs are blood pressure of 115/65 mmHg, HR 80/min, respiratory rate 6/min, and oxygen saturation of 87% on room air. Arterial blood gas (ABG) shows a pH of 7.24 (Normal: 7.35-7.45), PaCO2 of 60mm Hg (normal 35-45mm Hg), a HCO3 of 23 mEq/L (normal 21-28 mEq/L) and a Pa02 of 60 mmHg (normal 80-100 mmHg). Which of the following is the most appropriate therapy at this time?

A 22-year-old female is brought to the emergency department by her friends. She was supposed to attend her first job interview in a few hours when she started having palpitations. Her past medical history is insignificant, and she currently takes no medications. Her vitals show the following: pulse rate is 90/min, respiratory rate is 28/min, and blood pressure is 136/86 mm Hg. Her ECG is normal. What will be the patient’s approximate alveolar carbon dioxide pressure (PACO2) given her normal respiratory rate is 14/min and PACO2 is 36 mm Hg? Ignore dead space and assume carbon dioxide production is constant.

A 59-year-old woman is scheduled to undergo a right hip total arthroplasty for severe hip osteoarthritis that has failed conservative management. She has never had surgery before. She has a history of major depressive disorder and takes sertraline daily and ibuprofen occasionally for pain. Her mother died of breast cancer and her father died from a myocardial infarction. She has a brother who had an adverse reaction following anesthesia, but she does not know details of the event. In the operating room, the anesthesiologist administers isoflurane and succinylcholine. Two minutes later, the patient develops hypercarbia and hypertonicity of her bilateral upper and lower extremities. Her temperature is 103.7°F (39.8°C), blood pressure is 155/95 mmHg, pulse is 115/min, and respirations are 20/min. A medication with which of the following mechanisms of action is most strongly indicated for this patient?

A 57-year-old man presents to the clinic for a chronic cough over the past 4 months. The patient reports a productive yellow/green cough that is worse at night. He denies any significant precipitating event prior to his symptoms. He denies fever, chest pain, palpitations, weight changes, or abdominal pain, but endorses some difficulty breathing that waxes and wanes. He denies alcohol usage but endorses a 35 pack-year smoking history. A physical examination demonstrates mild wheezes, bibasilar crackles, and mild clubbing of his fingertips. A pulmonary function test is subsequently ordered, and partial results are shown below: Tidal volume: 500 mL Residual volume: 1700 mL Expiratory reserve volume: 1500 mL Inspiratory reserve volume: 3000 mL What is the functional residual capacity of this patient?

Two hours after undergoing elective cholecystectomy with general anesthesia, a 41-year-old woman is evaluated for decreased mental status. BMI is 36.6 kg/m2. Respirations are 18/min and blood pressure is 126/73 mm Hg. Physical examination shows the endotracheal tube in normal position. She does not respond to sternal rub and gag reflex is absent. Arterial blood gas analysis on room air shows normal PO2 and PCO2 levels. Which of the following anesthetic properties is the most likely cause of these findings?

A 30-year-old patient presents to clinic for pulmonary function testing. With body plethysmography, the patient's functional residual capacity is 3 L, tidal volume is 650 mL, expiratory reserve volume is 1.5 L, total lung capacity is 8 L, and dead space is 150 mL. Respiratory rate is 15 breaths per minute. What is the alveolar ventilation?

A group of researchers is studying various inhaled substances to determine their anesthetic properties. In particular, they are trying to identify an anesthetic with fast onset and quick recovery for use in emergencies. They determine the following data: Inhalational anesthetic Blood-gas partition coefficient A 0.15 B 0.92 C 5.42 Which of the following statements is accurate with regard to these inhaled anesthetic substances?

An obese 52-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because of increasing shortness of breath for the past 8 hours. Two months ago, he noticed a mass on the right side of his neck and was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He has smoked two packs of cigarettes daily for 27 years. He drinks two pints of rum daily. He appears ill. He is oriented to person, place, and time. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 111/min, respirations are 34/min, and blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 89%. Examination shows a 9-cm, tender, firm subglottic mass on the right side of the neck. Cervical lymphadenopathy is present. His breathing is labored and he has audible inspiratory stridor but is able to answer questions. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Arterial blood gas analysis on room air shows: pH 7.36 PCO2 45 mm Hg PO2 74 mm Hg HCO3- 25 mEq/L He has no advanced directive. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?