Preoperative Care and Preparation Flashcards
7 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 7 Preoperative Care and Preparation flashcards as text
Which document must be completed and signed before a patient can be transported to the OR for an elective surgical procedure?
Answer: Informed consent
Informed consent must be obtained and signed by the patient or legal guardian before any elective surgical procedure can proceed.
A patient scheduled for abdominal surgery reports taking warfarin daily. What is the most critical preoperative action?
Answer: Notify the surgeon and anesthesia provider immediately
Warfarin significantly increases bleeding risk, so the surgeon and anesthesia team must be notified to manage anticoagulation appropriately before surgery.
What is the primary purpose of the preoperative surgical site marking?
Answer: To ensure the correct site and side are operated on
Surgical site marking is a patient safety measure to prevent wrong-site surgery by clearly identifying the correct operative location.
Which preoperative lab value is most critical to review before a patient undergoes general anesthesia?
Answer: Hemoglobin and hematocrit
Hemoglobin and hematocrit values indicate oxygen-carrying capacity and identify anemia that could compromise patient safety during general anesthesia.
A patient states they ate a full meal 3 hours before arriving for a scheduled procedure. What should the surgical technologist do?
Answer: Notify the surgeon and anesthesia provider before the procedure begins
NPO status of at least 6-8 hours for solids is required; a non-fasted patient is at risk for aspiration and the team must be notified to determine if surgery can proceed.
During the preoperative assessment, the patient reports a latex allergy. Which action should occur FIRST?
Answer: Apply a latex allergy wristband and alert the entire surgical team
Immediately applying a latex allergy wristband and alerting all team members ensures the entire OR is prepared with latex-free supplies before the patient enters.
What is the correct sequence for applying antimicrobial skin prep to a surgical site?
Answer: From the incision site outward in a circular motion
Skin prep is applied from the cleanest area (incision site) outward to the periphery to prevent dragging microorganisms toward the surgical site.