CPAN (Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse) practice EXAM
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
2026-2027 NEW VERSION
A patient who speaks limited English is preparing for gallbladder surgery. The
perianesthesia nurse is aware that the appropriate interpreter to utilize for this
patient is:
1. an interpreter who is married to the patient's sister.
2. an interpreter who has a contract with the facility.
3. the patient's English-speaking husband.
4. the patient's bilingual significant other. - answer>>>2
A potential negative side effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is:
1. alveolar collapse.
2. decreased intrapulmonary shunting.
3. increased cardiac output.
4. hypertension. - answer>>>2
A patient complains of dyspnea and chest pain after the insertion of a central-line
catheter. The patient's breath sounds are diminished. After physician notification,
the priority nursing action is to:
1. prepare for the insertion of a chest tube.
2. obtain an order for analgesic.
3. apply a positive-pressure airway ventilator.
4. prepare for immediate removal of the central line. - answer>>>1
The dissociative state attributed to ketamine anesthesia can be modified by the
administration of a/an:
, -
1. antiarrhythmic.
2. benzodiazepine.
3. antagonist.
4. anticonvulsant. - answer>>>2
Care for a patient who receives a skin graft to the forearm includes:
1. maintain dependent position of the extremity.
2. changing the bandages if necessary.
3. elevation of the affected extremity.
4. ROM exercises for the affected extremity. - answer>>>3
The perianesthesia nurse learns that the patient takes MAO inhibitor routinely. This
information is documented because of the potential lethal interaction with:
1. meperidine.
2. midazolam.
3. succinylcholine.
4. morphine. - answer>>>1
Use of meperidine with an MAOI can lead to hypertension, convulsions, and coma.
Prochlorperazine acts to treat postoperative nausea by affecting the:
1. process of gastric emptying.
2. chemoreceptor trigger zone.
3. production of gastric acid.
4. vestibular pathways. - answer>>>2
,In a 3-year-old patient, postintubation croup is least likely to develop when the
patient has:
1. remained in a supine position for a 1-hour procedure.
2. been in a supine position for 15 minutes, then in a lateral position for 45 minutes.
3. coughed actively and strained prior to extubation.
4. required two attempts prior to successful intubation. - answer>>>1
Following a hernia repair, a 3-month-old is admitted to the PACU positioned on his
side with a pacifier in his mouth. The airway becomes obstructed by the tongue. The
obstruction can be alleviated by:
1. removing the pacifier.
2. pinching the cheeks.
3. turning him on his back.
4. hyperextending the jaw. - answer>>>2
The perianesthesia nurse should question the accuracy of the SpO2 measurement
when caring for a patient with which of the underlying condition?
1. Cushing's disease.
2. hypothyroidism.
3. Raynaud's disease.
4. hyperthyroidism. - answer>>>3
Signs and symptoms of Raynaud's disease include:
Cold fingers or toes.
Color changes in your skin in response to cold or stress.
Numb, prickly feeling or stinging pain upon warming or stress relief.
, -
A patient 7 months pregnant is admitted for repair of a lacerated Achilles tendon.
During assessment, contractions of her abdomen are noted. Which of the following
positions should this patient be placed?
1. Right lateral tilt position
2. Left lateral tilt position
3. Supine
4. Trendelenburg - answer>>>2
Because your liver is on the right side of your abdomen, lying on your left side helps
keep the uterus off that large organ. Sleeping on the left side also improves
circulation to the heart and allows for the best blood flow to the fetus, uterus, and
kidneys.
When preparing a patient for a brachial plexus nerve block for upper extremity
surgery, the perianesthesia nurse is aware that the safest and easiest approach is:
1. subclavicular.
2. supraclavicular.
3. interscalene.
4. axillary. - answer>>>4
The axillary approach to the brachial plexus is considered the safest of the four
approaches because of reduced risk to surrounding structures such as the risk of
phrenic nerve blockade and/or pneumothorax, but the general risks of accidental
intravascular and intraneural injection still exists.
To decrease nausea, the perianesthesia nurse instructs the patient to:
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
2026-2027 NEW VERSION
A patient who speaks limited English is preparing for gallbladder surgery. The
perianesthesia nurse is aware that the appropriate interpreter to utilize for this
patient is:
1. an interpreter who is married to the patient's sister.
2. an interpreter who has a contract with the facility.
3. the patient's English-speaking husband.
4. the patient's bilingual significant other. - answer>>>2
A potential negative side effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is:
1. alveolar collapse.
2. decreased intrapulmonary shunting.
3. increased cardiac output.
4. hypertension. - answer>>>2
A patient complains of dyspnea and chest pain after the insertion of a central-line
catheter. The patient's breath sounds are diminished. After physician notification,
the priority nursing action is to:
1. prepare for the insertion of a chest tube.
2. obtain an order for analgesic.
3. apply a positive-pressure airway ventilator.
4. prepare for immediate removal of the central line. - answer>>>1
The dissociative state attributed to ketamine anesthesia can be modified by the
administration of a/an:
, -
1. antiarrhythmic.
2. benzodiazepine.
3. antagonist.
4. anticonvulsant. - answer>>>2
Care for a patient who receives a skin graft to the forearm includes:
1. maintain dependent position of the extremity.
2. changing the bandages if necessary.
3. elevation of the affected extremity.
4. ROM exercises for the affected extremity. - answer>>>3
The perianesthesia nurse learns that the patient takes MAO inhibitor routinely. This
information is documented because of the potential lethal interaction with:
1. meperidine.
2. midazolam.
3. succinylcholine.
4. morphine. - answer>>>1
Use of meperidine with an MAOI can lead to hypertension, convulsions, and coma.
Prochlorperazine acts to treat postoperative nausea by affecting the:
1. process of gastric emptying.
2. chemoreceptor trigger zone.
3. production of gastric acid.
4. vestibular pathways. - answer>>>2
,In a 3-year-old patient, postintubation croup is least likely to develop when the
patient has:
1. remained in a supine position for a 1-hour procedure.
2. been in a supine position for 15 minutes, then in a lateral position for 45 minutes.
3. coughed actively and strained prior to extubation.
4. required two attempts prior to successful intubation. - answer>>>1
Following a hernia repair, a 3-month-old is admitted to the PACU positioned on his
side with a pacifier in his mouth. The airway becomes obstructed by the tongue. The
obstruction can be alleviated by:
1. removing the pacifier.
2. pinching the cheeks.
3. turning him on his back.
4. hyperextending the jaw. - answer>>>2
The perianesthesia nurse should question the accuracy of the SpO2 measurement
when caring for a patient with which of the underlying condition?
1. Cushing's disease.
2. hypothyroidism.
3. Raynaud's disease.
4. hyperthyroidism. - answer>>>3
Signs and symptoms of Raynaud's disease include:
Cold fingers or toes.
Color changes in your skin in response to cold or stress.
Numb, prickly feeling or stinging pain upon warming or stress relief.
, -
A patient 7 months pregnant is admitted for repair of a lacerated Achilles tendon.
During assessment, contractions of her abdomen are noted. Which of the following
positions should this patient be placed?
1. Right lateral tilt position
2. Left lateral tilt position
3. Supine
4. Trendelenburg - answer>>>2
Because your liver is on the right side of your abdomen, lying on your left side helps
keep the uterus off that large organ. Sleeping on the left side also improves
circulation to the heart and allows for the best blood flow to the fetus, uterus, and
kidneys.
When preparing a patient for a brachial plexus nerve block for upper extremity
surgery, the perianesthesia nurse is aware that the safest and easiest approach is:
1. subclavicular.
2. supraclavicular.
3. interscalene.
4. axillary. - answer>>>4
The axillary approach to the brachial plexus is considered the safest of the four
approaches because of reduced risk to surrounding structures such as the risk of
phrenic nerve blockade and/or pneumothorax, but the general risks of accidental
intravascular and intraneural injection still exists.
To decrease nausea, the perianesthesia nurse instructs the patient to:
