Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA) Practice Exam

During a preoperative interview, a patient's family history suggests a risk for which condition?

1. Hyperparathyroidism

2. Allergy to anesthetic drugs

3. Malignant hyperthermia

4. Graves' disease

The correct answer is: Malignant hyperthermia

The correct response is associated with conditions that have a genetic component influencing their risk factor assessment in surgical settings. In this context, malignant hyperthermia is a genetically inherited disorder that can be triggered during exposure to certain anesthetic agents. This important detail is crucial when evaluating a patient's family history, as the presence of malignant hyperthermia in family members significantly raises the risk for the patient, necessitating particular precautions during anesthesia management. Hyperparathyroidism, allergy to anesthetic drugs, and Graves' disease, while potentially relevant in a preoperative assessment, do not share the same direct hereditary correlation linked with surgical anesthetics as malignant hyperthermia. For example, an allergy to anesthetic drugs may occur due to various factors without necessarily indicating a familial pattern. Similarly, while Graves' disease has a genetic component, it is not specifically triggered or managed differently based on family history in the same manner as malignant hyperthermia in the context of anesthesia. Thus, assessing for malignant hyperthermia during preoperative interviews is essential for patient safety, making the recognition of this condition particularly important in the context of family history.