The Patient Has an Extensive History of Alcoholism

question 20

Multiple Choice

The patient has an extensive history of alcoholism. He is having coronary bypass surgery. While administering anesthesia, the certified nurse anesthetist notes that the patient requires higher-than-usual amounts of the drug. The nurse correctly evaluates this response as what phenomenon?

• A) The nurse anesthetist most likely did not calculate the correct amount of anesthesia for this patient.
• B) The patient has developed a paradoxical reaction to the anesthesia and will require a different drug.
• C) The patient has developed a resistance to the anesthesia, so it will not work very well.
• D) The patient has developed cross-tolerance to the anesthesia and will require higher amounts.

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Definitions:

Comparative Negligence

Comparative Negligence is a legal principle that reduces the plaintiff's damages award according to the plaintiff's degree of fault for the accident.

Last Clear Chance

A doctrine in tort law that allows a plaintiff to recover damages even if they were partly at fault, if the defendant had the last opportunity to avoid the accident.

Contributory Negligence

is a legal doctrine holding that if a party can be shown to have contributed to their own harm, they may be barred from recovering damages from another party who may have also been negligent.

Modified Comparative Negligence

A legal principle in tort law where damages are apportioned among parties according to the degree of fault, limiting a plaintiff's ability to recover if their fault reaches a certain threshold.