Mixed Deck — All Certified Surgical Technologist Topics Flashcards
100 cards from real Certified Surgical Technologist practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 20 Mixed Deck — All Certified Surgical Technologist Topics flashcards as text
A resectoscope is used to resect the
Answer: Prostate
A resectoscope is a specialized endoscopic instrument primarily used in urology for transurethral resection procedures. Its most common application is in a Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP). During this procedure, the resectoscope is used to remove prostatic tissue that is obstructing the urethra, improving urine flow.
A surgeon performing a coronary artery bypass graft requests papaverine to be applied topically to the internal mammary artery. The primary function of papaverine in this application is to:
Answer: prevent vasospasm.
Papaverine is a direct-acting smooth muscle relaxant and vasodilator. In vascular surgery, it is applied topically to harvested vessels, like the internal mammary artery or saphenous vein, to prevent or reverse spasms of the vessel wall, which ensures adequate blood flow through the graft.
Which draping technique is used to create a sterile field around the surgical incision site?
Answer: Fenestrated draping
A fenestrated (aperture) drape has a pre-cut opening positioned over the incision site to expose only the operative area while covering the rest of the patient.
When passing a sharps instrument on the sterile field, the safest technique is:
Answer: Place in a neutral zone and announce its placement
The neutral zone technique requires placing sharps in a designated area and announcing placement, eliminating hand-to-hand transfer and reducing sharps injuries.
Which topical hemostatic agent derived from bovine thrombin combined with gelatin is commonly applied to surgical sites to control bleeding?
Answer: Floseal
Floseal is a hemostatic matrix combining bovine-derived gelatin granules and thrombin that swells to tamponade bleeding and activates the coagulation cascade.
What features of the PACU might promote the psychological health of a surgical patient?
Answer: Low lighting is used during recovery to protect the patient from bright glare.
Low lighting in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) helps create a calm and soothing environment for patients emerging from anesthesia. It reduces sensory overload, minimizes discomfort from bright glare, and can help prevent agitation or disorientation. This contributes significantly to the patient's psychological comfort and promotes a smoother recovery process.
What situations would make a cell saver transfusion inappropriate?
Answer: cancer procedures
Cell saver transfusions involve collecting, processing, and reinfusing a patient's own blood lost during surgery. However, this technique is generally contraindicated in cancer procedures. The primary concern is the risk that malignant cells from the surgical site could be collected and reinfused into the patient, potentially leading to the spread of cancer (metastasis).
The purpose of placing a tourniquet on an extremity during surgery is to:
Answer: Create a bloodless operative field to improve visualization
A pneumatic tourniquet inflated above systolic blood pressure occludes arterial inflow, creating a bloodless field that enhances visibility and reduces blood loss.
The primary difference between monopolar and bipolar electrosurgery is:
Answer: Bipolar current passes between two instrument tips, not through the patient's body
In bipolar electrosurgery, current flows only between the two tips of the forceps, limiting tissue effect to the grasped area without traveling through the patient.
When administering medications on the sterile field, what is the correct way to accept a drug from the circulator?
Answer: The circulator pours or drops the drug into a labeled sterile cup held by the scrub
The circulator pours or drops the drug into a sterile, labeled receptacle held by the scrub to maintain aseptic technique and prevent contamination.
During a transurethral resection prostate (TURP), the following factors control bleeding:
Answer: Cauterization
During a Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP), bleeding is primarily controlled through cauterization. The resectoscope used in the procedure employs an electrosurgical loop that simultaneously cuts away prostatic tissue and coagulates blood vessels. This dual action effectively minimizes blood loss during the resection.
During a surgical count, a discrepancy is found. The correct sequence of actions is to:
Answer: Inform the surgeon immediately and search the wound before closing
An immediate count discrepancy requires notifying the surgeon so the wound can be searched before closure to prevent a retained surgical item.
What is the FIRST priority when handing off a patient to the PACU nurse?
Answer: Reporting airway status and current vital signs
Airway patency and hemodynamic stability are the immediate life-safety priorities during PACU handoff — all other information is secondary.
Which of the following is an intervention the nurse can use with a patient who has memory issues during the preoperative period's teaching phase?
Answer: Reduce outside distractions by closing the door and turning off the television
When teaching a patient with memory issues during the preoperative period, reducing outside distractions is a crucial intervention. By closing the door and turning off the television, the nurse creates a quiet and focused environment that minimizes sensory overload and improves the patient's ability to concentrate and retain information. This strategy enhances the effectiveness of teaching for individuals with cognitive impairments.
During a surgical procedure, a circulating nurse reaches over the sterile back table to retrieve an item. Which principle of aseptic technique has been violated?
Answer: Non-sterile individuals should not reach over a sterile field.
A fundamental principle of aseptic technique is that non-sterile persons must never reach over a sterile field. Doing so can cause shedding of microbes, dust, or other particles from the non-sterile person onto the sterile surface, leading to contamination. Non-sterile personnel should always maintain a safe distance from sterile fields.
Which inhaled anesthetic agent is known to trigger malignant hyperthermia in susceptible patients?
Answer: Sevoflurane
Sevoflurane, like all volatile halogenated agents, can trigger malignant hyperthermia in genetically susceptible individuals through abnormal RYR1 receptor activation.
The Mayfield skull clamp provides rigid head fixation most commonly used for:
Answer: Craniotomies in lateral, prone, or sitting positions
The Mayfield three-pin skull clamp attaches to the skull and table frame to prevent any head movement during craniotomies, regardless of the patient's body position.
Which suture is most appropriate for closing contaminated wounds or bowel anastomoses due to its resistance to infection?
Answer: Polyglycolic acid (Dexon)
Polyglycolic acid (Dexon) is a synthetic absorbable suture that resists infection better than natural sutures like silk or chromic gut.
What microbes can survive without oxygen?
Answer: anaerobes
Anaerobes are microorganisms that do not require oxygen for growth and can even be harmed by its presence. They obtain energy through anaerobic respiration or fermentation, processes that do not utilize oxygen. In contrast, aerobes require oxygen, and facultative anaerobes can grow with or without it.
How should soiled sponges be organized in the kick bucket to facilitate accurate counting?
Answer: Kept in groups of 5 or 10
Soiled sponges are kept in groups of 5 or 10 in the kick bucket so they can be quickly and accurately recounted during closing counts.