Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for Study Session 22

Now that you have completed this study session, you can assess how well you have achieved its Learning Outcomes by answering the questions that follow below. Write your answers in your Study Diary and discuss them with your Tutor at the next Study Support Meeting. You can check your answers with the Notes on the Self-Assessment Questions at the end of this Module.

SAQ 22.1 (tests Learning Outcomes 22.1, 22.2, 22.3, 22.4, 22.5 and 22.6)

Which of the following statements is false? In each case, explain what is incorrect.

A  A woman who is in shock due to loss of blood should be referred immediately without beginning IV fluid therapy.

B  Remove and reposition the IV cannula if the venipuncture site swells and is painful.

C  If you don’t have a plaster to put over the venipuncture site there is no need to stabilise the IV cannula in the vein.

D  You can stop giving IV fluid if the woman’s blood pressure and pulse return to normal and she is no longer bleeding.

E  The syringe is for injecting sterile water into the bag collecting urine from the drainage tube in the bladder.

F  Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before you touch the patient or the equipment.

G  The flow rate should be as fast as possible when you start IV fluid therapy for a woman who is in shock.

Answer

A is false. A woman who is in shock (low blood pressure and rapid pulse) due to blood loss needs IV fluid therapy to be started before referral.

B is true. You should remove and reposition the IV cannula if the venipuncture site swells and is painful. This indicates that the fluid is going into the tissues instead of into the vein.

C is false. If you don’t have a plaster to put over the venipuncture site, you should stabilise the IV cannula by tying very clean cloth around it. If the cannula is not stabilised it can pull out of the vein.

D is true. You can stop giving IV fluid if the woman’s blood pressure and pulse return to normal and she is no longer bleeding.

E is false. The syringe is for injecting sterile water into the catheter balloon (not the collecting bag) to inflate the balloon so it anchors the catheter in the bladder.

F is true. You should wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before you touch the patient or the equipment.

G is true. The flow rate should be as fast as possible when you start IV fluid therapy for a woman who is in shock.

SAQ 22.2 (tests Learning Outcomes 22.1, 22.3 and 22.6)

Rearrange the following list into the correct sequence of actions when you start IV fluid therapy.

Using the following two lists, match each numbered item with the correct letter.

  1. Wash your hands.

  2. Put the patient in the lying down position.

  3. Put on sterile or very clean gloves.

  4. Identify the possible site for the IV cannula insertion.

  5. Tie a tourniquet about three finger-widths above the venipuncture site.

  6. Clean the venipuncture site with antiseptics, alcohol or soap and water.

  7. Take the cannula from the sterile package and insert it at the venipuncture site; then withdraw the needle, leaving the plastic cannula in the vein.

  8. Open the sterile IV tubing and connect the tubing to the bag of IV fluid and hang it higher than the patient or ask someone to hold it up for you.

  9. Connect the cannula to the bag of IV fluid and open the roller clamp.

  • a.7.

  • b.5.

  • c.6.

  • d.3.

  • e.1.

  • f.9.

  • g.2.

  • h.4.

  • i.8.

The correct answers are:
  • 1 = e
  • 2 = g
  • 3 = d
  • 4 = h
  • 5 = b
  • 6 = c
  • 7 = a
  • 8 = i
  • 9 = f

SAQ 22.3 (tests Learning Outcomes 22.1, 22.2 and 22.5)

Define what catheterisation means and why it may be necessary in the pregnant woman in labour. List at least five items of equipment you need to conduct this procedure.

Answer

Catheterisation of the bladder means introducing a sterile rubber or plastic tube into the urethra and then into the bladder to drain urine when the bladder is obstructed. Bladder obstruction can happen in a long or obstructed labour when the baby presses down on the urethra and blocks the normal flow of urine. The items of equipment you need are:

  • Sterile catheter of the correct size (16FC)
  • Sterile drainage tubing with a urine collection bag
  • Syringe containing sterile water to inflate the catheter balloon
  • Sterile or very clean gloves
  • Alcohol or antiseptic cleaning solution and swabs
  • Tube of lubricant
  • A good light source
  • Cloth to drape over the woman’s lower body.

Summary of Study Session 22