Medical Emergencies · single question
During general anesthesia, the patient's blood pressure suddenly drops. What is the FIRST thing you should do?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Verify the BP cuff is correctly sized and positioned
- A. Correct. Confirm the reading before acting on it. A displaced, wrong-sized, or loosely applied cuff is the single most common cause of a spurious sudden reading — cross-check with a pulse and repeat measurement.
- B. Giving pressors on the strength of a possibly artifactual reading risks dangerous hypertension.
- C. Compressions are indicated for pulselessness, not a single abnormal cuff reading in a patient with a pulse.
- D. Deepening anesthesia would worsen genuine hypotension.
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