Surgical Nursing and Patient Care Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on surgical patient care, operative phases, anesthesia concepts, and post-operative complications based on lecture transcript notes.

Surgical Asepsis

A sterile technique used in the operating room to maintain an environment with almost zero bacteria in order to prevent surgical site infections.

Circulating Nurse

An experienced OR nurse who manages the operating room, enforces sterile technique, documents timeline events, conducts timeouts, and coordinates supplies and communication.

Emergent Surgery

An immediate surgical intervention required without delay to prevent loss of life or severe complications, such as for a dissecting aortic aneurysm or ruptured appendix.

Urgent Surgery

A surgical procedure that is necessary and must be performed within a few hours, such as for a mechanical GI blockage.

Elective Surgery

A scheduled surgical procedure that is planned in advance and not immediately life-threatening, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy or joint replacement.

Required Surgery

A surgical intervention that needs to be done for health or functional necessity, such as cataract surgery or cancer removal.

Optional Surgery

Surgical procedures performed solely by patient preference for cosmetic reasons, such as facelifts or liposuction.

RN First Assistant (RNFA)

A specialized registered nurse with post-bachelor certification who directly assists the surgeon during an operation by cutting small wounds, placing wires, suturing, and closing incisions.

Pre-op Checklist

A mandatory, item-by-item verification protocol completed prior to surgery to confirm labs, physical history, patient identification, consents, and NPO status.

Informed Consent

A legal process where the surgeon explains the disease process, procedure, risks, alternatives, and anesthesia, witnessed by the nurse prior to administering sedatives.

The 4 G's

Four herbal supplements—Garlic, Ginseng, Ginger, and Ginkgo biloba—that increase the risk of bleeding and must be stopped prior to surgery.

Incentive Spirometry

A post-operative respiratory therapy technique instructed to be performed $6\text{ to }10\text{ times}$ per hour to expand lungs and prevent atelectasis and pneumonia.

Sequential Compression Devices (SCDs)

Inflatable leg sleeves applied post-operatively to promote blood flow in the lower extremities and prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Spinal Anesthesia

Local anesthetic injected into the spinal fluid space; patients must be kept lying flat post-procedure to prevent severe hypotension and spinal headaches.

Moderate Sedation

An intravenous anesthetic state (conscious sedation) where the patient remains conscious enough to respond to commands and maintain an airway, but forgets the procedure.

Succinylcholine

A short-acting neuromuscular blocking agent used during rapid sequence intubation that serves as a known trigger for malignant hyperthermia.

Malignant Hyperthermia

A life-threatening genetic hypermetabolic reaction to volatile gas anesthetics or succinylcholine, marked by muscle rigidity, high calcium influx, hypoxia, hypercarbia, and tachycardia.

Dantrolene

An intravenous muscle relaxant medication administered as the specific antidote and primary drug treatment for malignant hyperthermia.

Aldrete Score

A post-anesthesia recovery assessment tool evaluating activity, respiration, circulation, consciousness, and $O_2$ saturation, requiring a score of $8$ or higher for discharge or transfer.

Wound Dehiscence

The partial or complete separation of the outer surgical incision margins.

Wound Evisceration

The protrusion of internal visceral organs through a separated surgical wound, requiring immediate coverage with sterile, warm, moist normal saline dressings.

Surgical Asepsis

A sterile technique used in the operating room to maintain an environment with almost zero bacteria in order to prevent surgical site infections.

Circulating Nurse

An experienced OR nurse who manages the operating room, enforces sterile technique, documents timeline events, conducts timeouts, and coordinates supplies and communication.

Emergent Surgery

An immediate surgical intervention required without delay to prevent loss of life or severe complications, such as for a dissecting aortic aneurysm or ruptured appendix.

Urgent Surgery

A surgical procedure that is necessary and must be performed within a few hours, such as for a mechanical GI blockage.

Elective Surgery

A scheduled surgical procedure that is planned in advance and not immediately life-threatening, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy or joint replacement.

Required Surgery

A surgical intervention that needs to be done for health or functional necessity, such as cataract surgery or cancer removal.

Optional Surgery

Surgical procedures performed solely by patient preference for cosmetic reasons, such as facelifts or liposuction.

RN First Assistant (RNFA)

A specialized registered nurse with post-bachelor certification who directly assists the surgeon during an operation by cutting small wounds, placing wires, suturing, and closing incisions.

Pre-op Checklist

A mandatory, item-by-item verification protocol completed prior to surgery to confirm labs, physical history, patient identification, consents, and NPO status.

Informed Consent

A legal process where the surgeon explains the disease process, procedure, risks, alternatives, and anesthesia, witnessed by the nurse prior to administering sedatives.

The 4 G's

Four herbal supplements—Garlic, Ginseng, Ginger, and Ginkgo biloba—that increase the risk of bleeding and must be stopped prior to surgery.

Incentive Spirometry

A post-operative respiratory therapy technique instructed to be performed $6\text{ to }10\text{ times}$ per hour to expand lungs and prevent atelectasis and pneumonia.

Sequential Compression Devices (SCDs)

Inflatable leg sleeves applied post-operatively to promote blood flow in the lower extremities and prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Spinal Anesthesia

Local anesthetic injected into the spinal fluid space; patients must be kept lying flat post-procedure to prevent severe hypotension and spinal headaches.

Moderate Sedation

An intravenous anesthetic state (conscious sedation) where the patient remains conscious enough to respond to commands and maintain an airway, but forgets the procedure.

Succinylcholine

A short-acting neuromuscular blocking agent used during rapid sequence intubation that serves as a known trigger for malignant hyperthermia.

Malignant Hyperthermia

A life-threatening genetic hypermetabolic reaction to volatile gas anesthetics or succinylcholine, marked by muscle rigidity, high calcium influx, hypoxia, hypercarbia, and tachycardia.

Dantrolene

An intravenous muscle relaxant medication administered as the specific antidote and primary drug treatment for malignant hyperthermia.

Aldrete Score

A post-anesthesia recovery assessment tool evaluating activity, respiration, circulation, consciousness, and $O_2$ saturation, requiring a score of $8$ or higher for discharge or transfer.

Wound Dehiscence

The partial or complete separation of the outer surgical incision margins.

Wound Evisceration

The protrusion of internal visceral organs through a separated surgical wound, requiring immediate coverage with sterile, warm, moist normal saline dressings.

Perioperative Nursing Care

Nursing care provided through all three distinct phases of the surgical experience: preoperative (before surgery), intraoperative (during surgery), and postoperative (after surgery).

Nurse's Role in Informed Consent

Serving as a witness to the patient's voluntary signature, verifying patient identity and competency, and contacting the surgeon if the patient expresses a lack of understanding regarding the procedure.

Preoperative Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A routine baseline blood test evaluating hemoglobin and hematocrit for blood loss risk, along with white blood cell count for underlying infection.

Surgical Risk Factors in Older Adults

Decreased tissue elasticity, reduced cardiac and renal clearance, altered drug metabolism, and increased susceptibility to hypothermia, positioning injuries, and postoperative delirium.

Preoperative Anticoagulant Discontinuation

The protocol of stopping medications such as warfarin ($5\,days$ prior) or apixaban ($3\,days$ prior) before surgery to prevent severe hemorrhage.

Preoperative Patient Teaching

Instruction delivered before surgery while the patient is fully alert, covering deep breathing, coughing, incentive spirometry, leg exercises, and ambulation.

General Anesthesia

A drug-induced, reversible state of unconsciousness with loss of protective airway reflexes, analgesia, and muscle relaxation, initiated intravenously and maintained with inhaled volatile gases.

Regional Anesthesia

An anesthetic technique that blocks pain sensation in a specific region of the body by injecting agents near target nerves without producing a loss of consciousness.

Laparoscopic Surgery

A minimally invasive surgical method using small incisions, trocars, a camera, and specialized instruments to reduce tissue trauma and speed recovery.

Natural Orifice Surgery

A surgical approach entering through existing body openings, such as performing a cystoscopy through the urethra, avoiding skin incisions.

Scrub Nurse

A sterile member of the operating team who performs surgical hand scrubs, sets up and maintains the sterile field, and passes instruments directly to the surgeon.

Intraoperative Vomiting Intervention

Positioning the patient on their side immediately and providing airway suctioning to prevent pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents.

Earliest Signs of Malignant Hyperthermia

Unexplained tachycardia and hypercarbia resulting from a hypermetabolic muscular state, appearing before high fever and rigidity.

Immediate Postoperative Priority Assessment

Establishing airway patency, breathing adequacy, and oxygen saturation upon the patient's arrival in the PACU.

Airway Obstruction Response in PACU

Providing verbal and tactile stimulation (shaking and shouting) combined with a head-tilt/chin-lift or jaw-thrust maneuver to open the airway.

Postoperative Atelectasis

Incomplete expansion or collapse of alveoli caused by shallow breathing or retained secretions, prevented by incentive spirometry $6\text{ to }10\text{ times}$ per hour.

Delegatable Postoperative UAP Tasks

Routine non-invasive care for stable patients, including taking vital signs, applying sequential compression devices (SCDs), assisting with ambulation, and recording intake and output.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA)

An intravenous delivery system allowing an alert patient to self-administer preset opioid doses at controlled intervals by pressing a pump button.

Postoperative Cataract Surgery Instructions

Instructing the patient to avoid bending at the waist, heavy lifting, or coughing to prevent increased intraocular pressure, and to report acute eye pain.

Significant Vital Sign Change Threshold

A change of $20\%$ or more from baseline preoperative values, indicating potential hemorrhage, shock, or respiratory compromise.