Perioperative Nursing Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative phases of nursing care, including complications and team roles.

Informed Consent (Surgeon's Role)

The professional who is legally responsible for ensuring that the client is giving informed consent before surgery.

Informed Consent (Nurse's Role)

The professional who may only witness the client’s signature on the consent form.

Emergent Surgery

A category of surgery based on urgency where the procedure must be performed immediately.

Elective Surgery

A category of surgery where the procedure is planned and not immediately life-threatening.

Palliative Surgery

A surgery performed to relieve symptoms or improve quality of life rather than to cure the underlying condition.

Malignant Hyperthermia

An inherited muscle disorder chemically induced by anesthetic agents where calcium ions accumulate, resulting in hypermetabolism, muscle rigidity, and hyperthermia.

Dantrolene sodium

A skeletal muscle relaxant used as the primary treatment for Malignant Hyperthermia.

General Anesthesia

A state marked by the loss of all sensation and consciousness, where all reflexes, including protective reflexes, are lost.

Regional Anesthesia

The temporary interruption of nerve impulse transmission to a specific area of the body, causing loss of sensation without loss of consciousness.

Moderate (Conscious) Sedation

The administration of short-acting medications to decrease sensory perception while the patient retains protective reflexes and a patent airway.

Circulating Nurse

The only member of the OR team who must be a Registered Nurse; manages the OR, monitors aseptic technique, and assists with sponge and instrument counts.

Scrub Nurse / Scrub Tech

A member of the surgical team who sets up the sterile field, drapes the client, and handles sterile instruments and supplies.

Aldrete Score

A scoring system assessing respiration, $O_2$ saturation, consciousness, circulation, and activity to determine a patient's readiness for transfer from PACU.

Atelectasis

A respiratory complication characterized by alveolar collapse or incomplete expansion of the lung, often indicated by crackles and decreased breath sounds.

Hemorrhage

Excessive internal or external blood loss characterized by hypotension, a weak thready pulse, and cold clammy skin.

Hypovolemic Shock

The most common type of shock in surgical patients, resulting from a decrease in blood volume.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

The formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, often prevented by early ambulation, SCDs, and prophylactic Heparin or Enoxaparin.

Pulmonary Embolism

A medical emergency where a blood clot dislodges and travels to the lungs, causing dyspnea, chest pain, and tachycardia.

Dehiscence

A surgical complication where the wound edges separate, often preceded by an increase or gush of serosanguineous drainage.

Evisceration

An emergency where internal organs protrude through a dehisced surgical incision; requires covering with sterile towels moistened with sterile normal saline.

Fluid Volume Deficit (FVD)

A state where water and electrolytes are lost in proportion, often evidenced by tachycardia (the 1st sign), decreased urine output, and increased Hct.

Fluid Volume Excess (FVE)

Abnormal retention of water and sodium characterized by a constant irritated cough, crackles, distended neck veins, and peripheral edema.

Hematoma

A clot formation within the wound that may cause bulging and delay healing if the clot is large.

SSI (Surgical Site Infection) Prevention

Nursing interventions including keeping blood glucose below $200\,mg/dl$ and maintaining core body temperature at or above $96.8^{\circ} F$.

Post-operative Delirium

A significant but reversible problem in the elderly characterized by confusion, cognitive defects, and disturbed sleep patterns.

Obesity (BMI Threshold)

Defined by the AHA as a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than $30$, which increases surgical death risks by $2$ to $3$ times.

Urinary Retention (Time Threshold)

The expectation that a patient should void within $8$ hours of surgery, including time spent in the PACU.