Standard intraoperative monitoring parameters (pulse oximetry, capnography, EKG) and alarm troubleshooting tested on the Cer.A.T. certification exam.
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- What does pulse oximetry measure?
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Functional oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in arterial blood (SpO2)- What is the normal SpO2 range on room air?
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95-100%- What physical principle allows a pulse oximeter to calculate SpO2?
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Differential absorption of light at two wavelengths by oxygenated vs deoxygenated hemoglobin- What two light wavelengths does a standard pulse oximeter probe use?
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Red (about 660 nm) and infrared (about 940 nm)- Pulse oximetry's light absorption calculation is based on which law?
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The Beer-Lambert law- How can dark nail polish affect a pulse oximeter reading?
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It can cause a falsely low SpO2 reading- How does carbon monoxide poisoning affect a pulse oximeter reading?
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It causes a falsely elevated SpO2 reading, because carboxyhemoglobin is misread as oxyhemoglobin- How does methemoglobinemia affect a pulse oximeter reading?
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SpO2 trends toward approximately 85% regardless of the patient's true oxygen saturation- How does patient motion typically affect a pulse oximeter reading?
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It causes artifact and an unreliable or inaccurate reading- How does poor peripheral perfusion affect the pulse oximeter signal?
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It produces a weak, absent, or dampened waveform and unreliable reading- In ____, the displayed SpO2 value lags slightly behind the patient's actual real-time oxygenation change.
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pulse oximetry- Why should a pulse oximeter probe site be rotated periodically?
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To prevent pressure injury or skin necrosis at the site- What does capnography measure?
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The concentration of carbon dioxide in exhaled breath- What is the difference between a capnometer and a capnograph?
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A capnometer gives only a numeric CO2 value; a capnograph also displays the CO2 waveform- What is the normal end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2) range?
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35-45 mmHg
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