SURGERY EOR EXAM NEWEST 2026 ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS/NEWEST UPDATE!!!
_______is the most important anesthetic complication. Anesthesia causes an uncontrolled
increase in skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism, which overwhelms the body's capacity to
supply oxygen, remove CO2, and regulative body temperature. - (Correct Answer)-Malignant
hyperthermia
If patient is hyperkalemic (normal range 3.8-5.0), how should you treat the patient? - (Correct
Answer)-treat with glucose/insulin, and calcium +/-bicarb
_______is the reversing agent for opiods. - (Correct Answer)-Naloxone
_______is the reversing agent for benzodiazipines. - (Correct Answer)-Flumazenil
What is the best indicator used to monitor nutritional status? - (Correct Answer)-prealbumin -
every 2-3 days
Intervention:
_________require central access and indicated when no enteral feeding for > 7 days. - (Correct
Answer)-TPN - total peripheral nutrition
The _________is the most important part of the history before surgery. - (Correct Answer)-
cardiac history -- history of MI, unstable angina, valvular disease
In patients with known cardiac disease, aggressive intraoperative lowering of myocardial oxygen
demand with ____ has been shown in RCT's to improve outcomes and should be used. - (Correct
Answer)-beta blockers
When accessing cardiac disease prior to surgery, what is the most important thing to access? -
(Correct Answer)-aortic stenosis -- crescendo diastolic rumble at apex
, 2
Guidelines for the use of antibiotics include administration within _______ of surgery and
redosing after 4 hours. What is the abx of choice? - (Correct Answer)-1 hour
Abx of choice: cefazolin for all except colorectal then cefazolin/metronidazole
Pre-op -- Metabolic disease/syndrome -- what are the 5 criteria? - (Correct Answer)-3/5 to
diagnose:
1 - diabetes
2 - central obesity
3 - HTN
4 - high serum triglycerrides
5 - low HDL levels
______should be monitored before surgery bc it is a stimulant and vasoconstrictor -- can lead to
severe tachycardia - (Correct Answer)-Cocaine
Pre-Op -- What are the indications for EKG and CXR? - (Correct Answer)-EKG - men >40,
women>50, known CAD, DM, or HTN
CXR - age >50, known cardiac or pulmonary disease
What are the 5 classic "W's" of post operative fever? - (Correct Answer)-W - wind (atelectasis)
W - water (UTI)
W - wound (wound infection)
W - walking (DVT/thrombophlebitis)
W - wonder drugs (drug fever)
If the post op fever occurs within the first 24 hours of surgery, what is the most likely cause? -
(Correct Answer)-wind/atelectasis
, 3
If the post op fever occurs within days 3-5 post op, what is the most likely cause? - (Correct
Answer)-water/UTI, catheter related phlebitis, pneumonia
If the post op fever occurs within days 5-10 post op, what is the most likely cause? - (Correct
Answer)-wound infection, pneumonia, abscess, infected hematoma, C diff colitis, anastomotic
leak, DVT, peritoneal abscess, drug fever, PE, parotitis
_______is the most common pathogen in wound infections and around foreign bodies. - (Correct
Answer)-Staph aureus
_______invades the inner ear and enteric tissues as well as the lung. - (Correct Answer)-
Klebsiella
______organisms are often found together with anaerobes. - (Correct Answer)-Enteric organisms
ie. enterobacteriaceae and enterococci
Among the anaerobes, ___&___are often present in surgical infections and _____species are
major pathogens in ischemic tissue. - (Correct Answer)-Bacteroides & Peptostreptococci;
Clostridium
___&___are usually nonpathogenic surface contaminants but may be opportunistic.
Some fungi and yeast cause abscesses in sinus tracts. - (Correct Answer)-Pseudomonas &
Serratia
History of recent surgery, trauma, cancer, prolonged immobilization, or oral contraceptive use
increases the risk of ____. - (Correct Answer)-DVT - deep vein thrombosis
What is Homan's sign? - (Correct Answer)-pain on passive dorsiflexion of ankle
, 4
What is the test of choice for DVT? - (Correct Answer)-doppler ultrasound
How is the D-dimer text useful? - (Correct Answer)-It is good at ruling a DVT out (if the text is
negative) but not rule it in
Tx of DVT --
1. Initiate use of ____or____to what dose?
2. Overlap with the use of ____to what therapeutic range?
3. Why overlap therapies? - (Correct Answer)-DVT
1. Initiate Heparin to PTT of 0.3-0.7 U/mL or LMWH wo monitoring.
2. Overlap with warfarin to INR between 2-3.
3. Overlap therapies to decrease changes of hypercoagulable state.
The most common cause of SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) is sepsis. What
are the criteria for dx of SIRS? - (Correct Answer)-At least 2 of the following:
1. temp >38C or <36C
2. tachy >90
3. tachypnea > 20 breaths/minute
4. PCO2 <32mmHg
5. WBC > 12,000/uL or <4000/uL
After sepsis, what are the next two most common causes of SIRS? - (Correct Answer)-
pancreatitis and drugs
What is the difference between hypovolemia and dehydration? - (Correct Answer)-hypovolemia
is loss of both water and sodium while dehydration is loss of intracellular water or deficit with
hypernatremia -- dehydration occurs when patient can not adjust water intake for water loss
ANSWERS/NEWEST UPDATE!!!
_______is the most important anesthetic complication. Anesthesia causes an uncontrolled
increase in skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism, which overwhelms the body's capacity to
supply oxygen, remove CO2, and regulative body temperature. - (Correct Answer)-Malignant
hyperthermia
If patient is hyperkalemic (normal range 3.8-5.0), how should you treat the patient? - (Correct
Answer)-treat with glucose/insulin, and calcium +/-bicarb
_______is the reversing agent for opiods. - (Correct Answer)-Naloxone
_______is the reversing agent for benzodiazipines. - (Correct Answer)-Flumazenil
What is the best indicator used to monitor nutritional status? - (Correct Answer)-prealbumin -
every 2-3 days
Intervention:
_________require central access and indicated when no enteral feeding for > 7 days. - (Correct
Answer)-TPN - total peripheral nutrition
The _________is the most important part of the history before surgery. - (Correct Answer)-
cardiac history -- history of MI, unstable angina, valvular disease
In patients with known cardiac disease, aggressive intraoperative lowering of myocardial oxygen
demand with ____ has been shown in RCT's to improve outcomes and should be used. - (Correct
Answer)-beta blockers
When accessing cardiac disease prior to surgery, what is the most important thing to access? -
(Correct Answer)-aortic stenosis -- crescendo diastolic rumble at apex
, 2
Guidelines for the use of antibiotics include administration within _______ of surgery and
redosing after 4 hours. What is the abx of choice? - (Correct Answer)-1 hour
Abx of choice: cefazolin for all except colorectal then cefazolin/metronidazole
Pre-op -- Metabolic disease/syndrome -- what are the 5 criteria? - (Correct Answer)-3/5 to
diagnose:
1 - diabetes
2 - central obesity
3 - HTN
4 - high serum triglycerrides
5 - low HDL levels
______should be monitored before surgery bc it is a stimulant and vasoconstrictor -- can lead to
severe tachycardia - (Correct Answer)-Cocaine
Pre-Op -- What are the indications for EKG and CXR? - (Correct Answer)-EKG - men >40,
women>50, known CAD, DM, or HTN
CXR - age >50, known cardiac or pulmonary disease
What are the 5 classic "W's" of post operative fever? - (Correct Answer)-W - wind (atelectasis)
W - water (UTI)
W - wound (wound infection)
W - walking (DVT/thrombophlebitis)
W - wonder drugs (drug fever)
If the post op fever occurs within the first 24 hours of surgery, what is the most likely cause? -
(Correct Answer)-wind/atelectasis
, 3
If the post op fever occurs within days 3-5 post op, what is the most likely cause? - (Correct
Answer)-water/UTI, catheter related phlebitis, pneumonia
If the post op fever occurs within days 5-10 post op, what is the most likely cause? - (Correct
Answer)-wound infection, pneumonia, abscess, infected hematoma, C diff colitis, anastomotic
leak, DVT, peritoneal abscess, drug fever, PE, parotitis
_______is the most common pathogen in wound infections and around foreign bodies. - (Correct
Answer)-Staph aureus
_______invades the inner ear and enteric tissues as well as the lung. - (Correct Answer)-
Klebsiella
______organisms are often found together with anaerobes. - (Correct Answer)-Enteric organisms
ie. enterobacteriaceae and enterococci
Among the anaerobes, ___&___are often present in surgical infections and _____species are
major pathogens in ischemic tissue. - (Correct Answer)-Bacteroides & Peptostreptococci;
Clostridium
___&___are usually nonpathogenic surface contaminants but may be opportunistic.
Some fungi and yeast cause abscesses in sinus tracts. - (Correct Answer)-Pseudomonas &
Serratia
History of recent surgery, trauma, cancer, prolonged immobilization, or oral contraceptive use
increases the risk of ____. - (Correct Answer)-DVT - deep vein thrombosis
What is Homan's sign? - (Correct Answer)-pain on passive dorsiflexion of ankle
, 4
What is the test of choice for DVT? - (Correct Answer)-doppler ultrasound
How is the D-dimer text useful? - (Correct Answer)-It is good at ruling a DVT out (if the text is
negative) but not rule it in
Tx of DVT --
1. Initiate use of ____or____to what dose?
2. Overlap with the use of ____to what therapeutic range?
3. Why overlap therapies? - (Correct Answer)-DVT
1. Initiate Heparin to PTT of 0.3-0.7 U/mL or LMWH wo monitoring.
2. Overlap with warfarin to INR between 2-3.
3. Overlap therapies to decrease changes of hypercoagulable state.
The most common cause of SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) is sepsis. What
are the criteria for dx of SIRS? - (Correct Answer)-At least 2 of the following:
1. temp >38C or <36C
2. tachy >90
3. tachypnea > 20 breaths/minute
4. PCO2 <32mmHg
5. WBC > 12,000/uL or <4000/uL
After sepsis, what are the next two most common causes of SIRS? - (Correct Answer)-
pancreatitis and drugs
What is the difference between hypovolemia and dehydration? - (Correct Answer)-hypovolemia
is loss of both water and sodium while dehydration is loss of intracellular water or deficit with
hypernatremia -- dehydration occurs when patient can not adjust water intake for water loss
