6. If a patient presents with an aller-
gy to sulfites and is scheduled for
surgery with the anesthetic agent
propofol, you have to alert the anes-
thesia provider of the allergy.
a. true b. false
Answer: a
Although some forms of propofol do
not contain sulfites — such as
Diprivan — other forms do. Therefore,
it's always a good idea to let anesthe-
sia providers know about the patient's
allergy to prevent potential complica-
tions. Also, as a general best practice,
staff should know the type of propofol
that's used in your facility and whether the preservative contains sulfites.
7. It's acceptable to use multiple-dose vials (MDVs) for more than one
patient.
a. true b. false
Answer: b
MDVs used in the OR should be used only for 1 patient and 1 dosage.
MDVs used outside of direct patient care areas should be time-dated
according to the 28-day rule, which mandates medications must be dis-
carded within 28 days unless the manufacturer specifically states a differ-
ent expiration date (longer or shorter) for the opened vial.
J U L Y 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 1
• SMART STORAGE Whenever possible, stock only one
strength of a medication to limit the risk of dosing errors.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
