Anesthesia Toolbox Question:

An otherwise healthy 34-year-old woman presents for a laparoscopic appendectomy. You are preparing the operating room for a general anesthetic. Which monitor is necessary to meet the standard of care as prescribed by the ASA?

A. Central venous pressure monitoring X

B. Noninvasive blood pressure cycled every 5 minutes ✔

C. Transesophageal echocardiography X

Read the discussion and key information below.

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Discussion:

Blood pressure must be cycled a minimum of every 5 minutes according to the ASA standard monitors. Central venous pressure monitoring and transesophageal echo are not necessary for this low-risk surgery in a healthy patient. Monitoring of oxygenation (SpO2), heart rate (EKG), and temperature are all components of the ASA standard monitors.

Key Information:

ASA Standard Monitors include monitoring of blood pressure at minimum every 5 minutes.

References:

Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring. Committee of Origin: Standards and Practice Parameters (Approved by the ASA House of Delegates on October 21, 1986, last amended on October 20, 2010, and last affirmed on October 28, 2016)

MS Online module 3: Basic OR Setup

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