Which of the following phenomena is primarily responsible for the decrease in core body temperature that commonly occurs during the first hour of general anesthesia?
(A) Convective heat loss from cutaneous vasodilation
(B) Decreased heat production
(C) Evaporative heat loss during skin preparation
(D) Heat loss from the respiratory tract
(E) Redistribution of core body heat to the periphery
Which of the following complications is more likely to occur during cannulation of the left internal jugular vein than during cannulation of the right internal jugular vein?
A 45-year-old woman who sustained a subarachnoid hemorrhage 18 hours ago develops a severe headache and becomes unresponsive. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's change in mental status?
A 30-year-old, 70-kg woman with mitral stenosis is scheduled for elective laparoscopic sterilization. Preoperatively she is taking digoxin and an unknown medication for chronic mental depression. The EKG demonstrates atrial fibrillation. Heart rate is 68 bpm. Anesthesia is induced with thiopental followed by nitrous oxide 50%, halothane 0.75%, and a continuous succinylcholine infusion. The ventilator is set to deliver a minute volume of 5 liters through an endotracheal tube. As the carbon dioxide is being insufflated into the abdomen, the blood pressure is noted to be elevated (150/100 mmHg) and ventricular bigeminy is present. The most appropriate therapy is to
(A) increase the halothane concentration to 1.25%
(B) discontinue the succinylcholine infusion
(C) increase minute ventilation to 7.5 L/min
(D) administer potassium 5 mEq intravenously over one minute followed by propranolol 0.25 mg
(E) measure arterial blood gas and serum electrolyte values