Want to test your assessment knowledge before the CRNA exam? Below are free sample flashcards from the 30-card assessment section of our 1050-card CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) deck, which covers Physical Status, MACE, Revised Cardiac Risk Index and more.
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During preoperative assessment, you visualize the soft palate, fauces, and uvula, but the tonsillar pillars are obscured. According to the Samsoon and Young modification, how is this Mallampati class defined?
Show answer →Class II. Mallampati classification is as follows: Class I: Soft palate, fauces, uvula, pillars; Class II: Soft palate, fauces, uvula; Class III: Soft palate, base of uvula; Class IV: Hard palate only. Exam Tip: The patient must be sitting, head neutral, mouth open, tongue out, WITHOUT phonating. Phonation can falsely move the soft palate upward, improving the grade and leading to an underestimation of difficulty.
In a patient with a BMI of 48 kg/m2, which specific physical measurement is the most sensitive predictor of a difficult airway, according to recent 2026 anesthesia literature?
Show answer →Neck circumference. In the morbidly obese population, a neck circumference > 43 cm (approx. 17 inches) is a more reliable predictor of difficult intubation than BMI or Mallampati score alone. Strategy: For these patients, ensure the ramped position (aligning the tragus with the sternal notch) to optimize the laryngeal view. Also, consider the increased risk of rapid desaturation due to decreased functional residual capacity (FRC).
A 28-year-old female at 34 weeks gestation presents for an urgent Cesarean section due to preeclampsia with severe features. She has no other medical history. What is her ASA Physical Status classification?
Show answer →ASA III-E. Rationale: Pregnancy itself is considered ASA II. However, preeclampsia with severe features represents severe systemic disease, which elevates the classification to ASA III. Because the procedure is urgent/emergent (a delay would significantly increase risk to mother or fetus), the E suffix must be added. Exam Tip: Do not forget the E for any non-elective case. Preeclampsia and eclampsia are high-yield examples of ASA III or IV depending on stability.
A patient with long-standing Type 1 Diabetes and documented gastroparesis presents for surgery. They followed standard 8-hour NPO guidelines for a heavy meal. How should the CRNA manage this patient?
Show answer →Treat as a Full Stomach and perform Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI). Rationale: Standard NPO guidelines apply only to healthy patients without conditions that impair gastric motility. Comorbidities like gastroparesis, GERD with significant symptoms, pregnancy, and bowel obstruction significantly delay gastric emptying. Even after 8 hours, these patients are at high risk for aspiration. Exam Tip: NBCRNA tests the exceptions to NPO rules—gastroparesis is a high-yield clinical exception.
What are the six independent predictors of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) included in the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (Lee's Criteria)?
Show answer →The six RCRI predictors are: 1. High-risk surgery (Intraperitoneal, intrathoracic, or suprainguinal vascular) 2. History of Ischemic Heart Disease (MI, positive stress test, angina, or use of NTG) 3. History of Congestive Heart Failure 4. History of Cerebrovascular Disease (TIA or Stroke) 5. Preoperative treatment with Insulin (IDDM) 6. Preoperative Creatinine > 2.0 mg/dL Exam Tip: Hypertension and age are NOT part of the RCRI. While they are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, they are not independent predictors in this specific validated model.
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Try 30 free CRNA cards firstThe full CRNA deck contains 1050 flashcards, and 30 of them focus on assessment. This page shows 5 free samples.
Our CRNA deck dedicates 30 of 1050 cards (3%) to assessment — always cross-check the official NBCRNA exam outline for the current blueprint weighting.
Yes — the samples on this page are free, and the CRNA preview page has 30 more free cards. Full access to all 1050 cards is a one-time $7.
Diagnostics
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Equipment
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Management
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Pathology
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Pharmacology
150 cards
Physiology
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Procedures
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