Question

You are scheduled to work at your hospital's ambulatory surgery center on Monday morning. As you start setting up equipment for the first case, you notice that the anesthesia machine is on and the oxygen is flowing at 10 L/min. You note that the operating room had not been in use since the previous Thursday when the surgery center was last open. What should you do?

A) Turn off the oxygen. Finish setting out equipment for this room and then continue setting up the rest of the rooms for the day.
B) Turn off the machine and the oxygen. Finish setting out equipment for this room and then continue setting up the rest of the rooms for the day.
C) Do not touch the machine. Finish setting out equipment for this room and then continue setting up the rest of the rooms for the day.
D) If the CO2 canister has not changed colors, do not replace it. Finish setting out equipment for this room and then continue setting up the rest of the rooms for the day.
E) Turn off oxygen. Replace the CO2 canister. Finish setting out equipment for this room and then continue setting up the rest of the rooms for the day.

Answer 1

Turn off the anesthesia machine and oxygen, then report the incident and continue setting up rooms while ensuring all equipment, including the CO2 canister, is ready for use, to ensure patient safety and equipment function.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you are scheduled to work at your hospital's ambulatory surgery center on Monday morning and you notice that the anesthesia machine is on and the oxygen is flowing at 10 L/min since the previous Thursday, you should take immediate action to ensure patient safety and equipment function. The correct course of action would be: B) Turn off the machine and the oxygen. After that, you can continue setting out equipment for that room before moving on to prepare the rest of the rooms for the day.

Safety protocols in healthcare settings are critical, especially in settings like surgery centers where equipment is used that could pose risks if not properly monitored. The fact that the machine was left on for multiple days is concerning and should be reported to the appropriate personnel to rectify such an oversight and prevent future occurrences.

It is important to ensure that the anesthesia equipment, including the CO2 canister is properly checked and ready for use. A CO2 canister that has not changed colors might not necessarily need replacement, but its readiness for use must be assured. Moreover, leaving the oxygen flowing when not in use is wasteful and could contribute to a fire hazard.