Intraoperative Care and Surgical Nursing

Vocabulary flashcards covering intraoperative nursing concepts, physical OR environments, surgical safety protocols, types of anesthesia, complications, and patient positioning.

Unrestricted Area

The physical surgical environment located before the red line, which includes employee areas, the front desk, external hallways, pre-op, and the PACU.

Semi-Restricted Area

The surgical area after the red line and before the OR door that includes support areas, internal hallways, clean & sterile supplies, and scrub sinks; requires attire such as OR scrubs or a bunny suit, shoe booties, hair covering, and masks.

Restricted Area

The surgical zone including the sterile core, procedure room, and OR where full OR attire plus eye protection, sterile gown, and sterile gloves are required.

Sterile Team Members

Surgical personnel who work within the sterile field, including the surgeon, surgical assistants, scrub nurse, surgical technologist, and OR technician.

Nonsterile Team Members

Surgical personnel positioned outside the sterile field, including the anesthesia provider/CRNA, circulating RN, and unlicensed assistive personnel.

Surgical Pause (Time Out)

A JCAHO protocol conducted by a designated person immediately before starting a procedure where all activity is suspended so the entire team can verify patient identity, procedure, site, consent, antibiotics, implants, and sterility.

Goals of Anesthesia

The five primary objectives of surgical anesthesia: amnesia, analgesia, depression of reflexes, muscle relaxation, and manipulation of physiological systems/functions.

Succinylcholine

A fast-acting muscle relaxant/paralytic agent used in general anesthesia that has no reversal agent.

Vecuronium and Rocuronium

Slower-acting muscle relaxants/paralytics used in general anesthesia that are reversible with neostigmine.

Malignant Hyperthermia (MH)

A genetic medical emergency triggered by volatile 'flurane' agents and succinylcholine, leading to increased cellular calcium and sustained muscle contraction.

Tachycardia (in Malignant Hyperthermia)

The first sign indicating the onset of malignant hyperthermia.

Dantrolene

The specific medication administered to treat malignant hyperthermia.

Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC)

Conscious sedation involving IV benzodiazepines (such as diazepam and midazolam) that maintains a patent airway and allows the patient to respond to verbal/physical stimulation while providing amnesia and analgesia.

Spinal Anesthesia

Regional anesthesia injected into the spinal canal or intrathecal space of the lower back, which can cause hypotension, nausea/vomiting, urinary retention, and spinal headache.

Spinal Headache Treatment

Management protocol for post-spinal anesthesia headaches, consisting of rest, fluids, acetaminophen, and/or a blood patch.

Epidural Anesthesia

Regional anesthesia placed in the epidural space of the lumbar or thoracic region that allows catheter retention for ongoing pain control without causing headaches.

Lidocaine

An amide local anesthetic that can be combined with epinephrine to control bleeding at the administration site.

Circulating RN Positioning Responsibility

The primary role of the circulating RN to ensure access, comfort, safety, proper skeletal alignment, protection of skin/nerves/vessels, adequate thoracic expansion, and patient modesty while positioning.

Never Events

Preventable serious surgical adverse events, such as wrong site/patient/procedure surgery, retained foreign bodies, surgical site infections after certain elective procedures, or DVT/PE following total knee or hip replacement.

WHO Surgical Safety Checklist Antibiotic Timing

The requirement to confirm whether antibiotic prophylaxis has been administered within the last 60 minutes prior to skin incision.