Healthcare and Electrical Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real CABT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Healthcare and Electrical Safety flashcards as text
Which NFPA 99 category designation applies to spaces where failure of equipment is likely to cause major injury or death to patients or caregivers?
Answer: Category 1
NFPA 99 Category 1 (formerly 'critical care') covers areas where equipment failure could result in major injury or death.
Which physiological effect occurs when 60 Hz AC current in the range of 10–20 mA passes through the thorax?
Answer: 'Let-go' threshold exceeded, causing inability to release the conductor
At 10–20 mA, sustained muscle tetany prevents voluntary release of the energized conductor, defining the 'let-go' threshold.
A line isolation monitor (LIM) alarms at 5 mA. Which action is most appropriate?
Answer: Unplug equipment one at a time to identify the faulted device
Sequentially unplugging devices while watching the LIM reading identifies the faulted equipment without interrupting essential power.
What does the term 'double insulation' (Class II equipment) mean?
Answer: Two independent layers of insulation so no grounding conductor is needed
Class II (double-insulated) devices have two independent insulation barriers, eliminating the need for a protective earth connection.
For cardiac catheterization laboratory equipment, NFPA 99 specifies a maximum patient lead leakage current of:
Answer: 10 µA
In critical care (Category 1) areas with intracardiac leads, the patient lead leakage limit is 10 µA to prevent microshock-induced fibrillation.
Which standard specifically governs the safety requirements for medical electrical equipment at the international level?
Answer: IEC 60601-1
IEC 60601-1 is the international standard defining safety and essential performance requirements for medical electrical equipment.
Stray capacitance in medical equipment can cause:
Answer: Unwanted leakage current flow through non-conductive paths
Stray capacitance between energized conductors and the chassis creates a capacitive path for leakage current even through nominally non-conductive materials.