CAPA Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: B

Expect muscle weakness to come back over the next 24 hours: Sugammadex binds rocuronium tightly; recurarization after proper dosing is rare, so this is not standard teaching.

Use a backup non-hormonal birth control method for 7 days: Correct. Sugammadex can bind progestogen, lowering hormonal contraceptive levels; the labeling advises an additional non-hormonal method for 7 days, equivalent to a missed pill.

Avoid all foods rich in vitamin K for the rest of the week: Vitamin K intake has no interaction with sugammadex; this is warfarin teaching.

Stop taking the contraceptive pill until her next period starts: She should keep taking her pill as usual while adding a backup method; stopping it would increase pregnancy risk.

Sugammadex reduces hormonal contraceptive effectiveness: teach a backup non-hormonal method for 7 days.

Answer: A

It sharply raises oxygen use and can cause heart ischemia: Correct. Shivering can increase oxygen consumption several-fold and raise catecholamines and heart rate, stressing the heart in a patient with coronary disease. Active warming is indicated.

It means that an infection has started and needs antibiotics: Postanesthesia shivering usually reflects heat loss and anesthetic effects on thermoregulation, not infection.

It speeds clearance of anesthetic drugs and causes early pain: Hypothermia actually slows drug metabolism and can prolong anesthetic effects.

It shows malignant hyperthermia is developing in the patient: Malignant hyperthermia causes rising temperature and muscle rigidity, not hypothermic shivering.

Postoperative hypothermia and shivering increase oxygen demand, cardiac events, bleeding and infection risk; use forced-air warming to restore normothermia.

Answer: C

Apply an ice pack to the neck and recheck the patient in 15 minutes: Cold may help minor swelling but does not relieve an expanding hematoma compressing the airway.

Give IV dexamethasone to reduce laryngeal edema and keep watching: Steroids act slowly and do not treat mechanical compression from blood; delay can be fatal.

Call for emergency help and prepare to open the incision at bedside: Correct. An expanding neck hematoma with stridor is an airway emergency: summon the surgeon and anesthesia immediately and prepare to open the incision and evacuate the clot (per protocol) while supporting oxygenation.

Apply firm pressure over the incision to stop the bleeding at the site: Pressure on an expanding neck hematoma worsens tracheal compression.

Post-thyroidectomy hematoma with airway signs: call for help, open the wound to decompress (SCOOP: skin exposure, cut sutures, open skin, open muscles, pack), and secure the airway.

Answer: D

Score 2, risk about 40%: This counts only two risk factors. She has all four: female sex, nonsmoker, motion sickness and postoperative opioids.

Score 3, risk about 60%: This misses one factor; postoperative opioid use is a fourth Apfel risk factor.

Score 1, risk about 20%: One factor would apply to someone with only, for example, female sex.

Score 4, risk about 80%: Correct. Female sex, nonsmoking, history of PONV or motion sickness and postoperative opioids each add 1 point; 4 points predicts about 80% PONV risk, calling for multimodal prophylaxis.

Apfel: female, nonsmoker, prior PONV/motion sickness, postop opioids; 0-4 points ≈ 10, 20, 40, 60, 80% risk.

Answer: C

"The ache in my right shoulder is from the gas used in surgery and should ease.": This is accurate: referred shoulder pain from CO2 irritating the diaphragm is common and usually resolves in 1 to 3 days.

"I should call if my belly pain gets worse or my skin or eyes turn yellow.": This is accurate: worsening pain or jaundice may mean bile leak or retained stone.

"A fever of 102°F the first few days is normal, so I don't need to call.": Correct. A temperature of about 101°F or higher after surgery may mean infection or bile leak and should be reported; this statement needs correction.

"I can shower tomorrow but should not soak in a bathtub for a while yet.": This is accurate, standard incision care teaching.

After laparoscopy, shoulder pain is expected; fever, worsening abdominal pain, jaundice, or wound redness or drainage should be reported.

Answer: B

Have the patient sign now while a second nurse witnesses the signature: A witness only confirms the signature; it cannot make up for impaired understanding caused by a sedative.

Notify the surgeon and anesthesia that consent is missing after sedation: Correct. Consent must be informed and voluntary from a patient who can understand; once a sedative is given, the provider must decide how to proceed, which may mean waiting or delaying.

Ask the patient's spouse in the waiting room to sign the form instead: A surrogate may consent only when the patient lacks capacity by a proper determination; temporary sedation is not a shortcut for a missed consent.

Proceed with surgery, as the patient agreed to it at the earlier office visit: An office discussion without documented consent does not satisfy the requirement before the procedure.

Informed consent is the provider's responsibility and must come before sedating medications; if it is missing, stop and notify the provider.