A nurse is caring for a client who is scheduled for an abdominal hysterectomy under general anesthesia. The client asks what type of anesthesia will be used and how it will affect her. Which of the following responses should the nurse give?
"General anesthesia will make you unconscious and unable to feel any pain during the surgery.”
"General anesthesia will numb your lower body and allow you to remain awake during the surgery.”
"General anesthesia will block pain signals from reaching your brain and make you sleepy during the surgery.”
"General anesthesia will relax your muscles and reduce your awareness of what is happening during the surgery."
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason:
General anesthesia will make you unconscious and unable to feel any pain during the surgery. This is true because general anesthesia affects the whole body and brain, blocking the sensation of pain and awareness of the surroundings. General anesthesia is used for almost all laparoscopic hysterectomies and is often used for abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies. General anesthesia also impairs your breathing, so a breathing tube, ventilator, and inhalation anesthetic may be used.
Choice B reason:
General anesthesia will numb your lower body and allow you to remain awake during the surgery. This is false because general anesthesia does not numb only a part of the body, but rather affects the whole body and brain. Numbing only a part of the body is called regional anesthesia, which involves injecting an anesthetic near a cluster of nerves to block pain signals from that area. Regional anesthesia can be used for some types of hysterectomies, but not for abdominal hysterectomy.
Choice C reason:
General anesthesia will block pain signals from reaching your brain and make you sleepy during the surgery. This is partially true but incomplete. General anesthesia does block pain signals from reaching your brain, but it also makes you unconscious, not just sleepy. You will not be aware of anything that is happening during the surgery or remember anything afterwards. General anesthesia also affects other functions of your body, such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Choice D reason:
General anesthesia will relax your muscles and reduce your awareness of what is happening during the surgery. This is also partially true but incomplete. General anesthesia does relax your muscles and reduce your awareness, but it also makes you completely unconscious and unable to feel any pain. You will not have any memory of the surgery or be able to respond to any stimuli. General anesthesia also has other effects on your body, such as lowering your body temperature and slowing down your digestion.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason:
Removing dentures, glasses, contact lenses, jewelry and nail polish is part of the physical preparation of the client before surgery. These items can interfere with the anesthesia, cause injury, or be lost during the procedure.
Choice B reason:
Administering a sedative or anxiolytic medication as prescribed is part of the preoperative medication of the client before surgery. These medications can help reduce anxiety, pain, nausea, and vomiting, and facilitate induction of anesthesia.
Choice C reason:
Marking the surgical site with an indelible marker is part of the patient identification and verification process before surgery. This helps prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, or wrong-person surgery by ensuring that the correct site is marked and confirmed by the client, surgeon, and nurse.
Choice D reason:
All of the above. All of these items should be completed before transferring the client to the operating room as part of the preoperative checklist. The checklist ensures that necessary documentation, admission assessment, physical preparation, and client education have been completed before the client enters the surgical suite.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason:
Hypothermia, bradycardia, and hypotension are not signs of malignant hyperthermia, but rather signs of hypovolemia, shock, or anesthesia overdose. Malignant hyperthermia is a rare but life-threatening condition that occurs when a patient is exposed to certain anesthetic agents and develops a hypermetabolic response that leads to high fever, muscle rigidity, tachycardia, hypertension, acidosis, and rhabdomyolysis.
Choice B reason:
Hyperthermia, tachycardia, and hypertension are the classic signs of malignant hyperthermia. The patient may also experience increased carbon dioxide production, decreased oxygen saturation, dysrhythmias, cyanosis, muscle breakdown, and organ failure. The nurse should monitor the patient's vital signs, temperature, blood gases, electrolytes, and urine output closely and notify the anesthesia care provider immediately if malignant hyperthermia is suspected. The treatment involves stopping the anesthetic agent, administering 100% oxygen, cooling the patient with ice packs and cold intravenous fluids, and giving dantrolene sodium intravenously to relax the muscles.
Choice C reason:
Hypothermia, tachypnea, and hypertension are not consistent with malignant hyperthermia. Hypothermia may occur due to exposure to cold operating room environment or intravenous fluids. Tachypnea may be caused by pain, anxiety, hypoxia, or acidosis. Hypertension may be related to stress, pain, or sympathetic stimulation. These signs are not specific to malignant hyperthermia and do not indicate a hypermetabolic state.
Choice D reason:
Hyperthermia, bradypnea, and hypotension are not typical of malignant hyperthermia. Hyperthermia may occur due to infection, inflammation, or dehydration. Bradypnea may be a result of oversedation, opioid administration, or respiratory depression. Hypotension may be due to blood loss, dehydration, or vasodilation. These signs do not reflect a hypermetabolic state or muscle rigidity that are characteristic of malignant hyperthermia.
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