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
A patient undergoing cardiac surgery requires placement of a Foley catheter. When should this catheter ideally be inserted?
Answer: After the patient is intubated and positioned on the OR table
Foley catheters for major surgery are typically inserted after anesthesia induction to maximize patient comfort and reduce anxiety during the procedure.
Which preoperative action helps reduce the risk of hypothermia during surgery?
Answer: Applying a forced-air warming blanket in the preoperative area
Pre-warming patients with forced-air warming blankets before surgery reduces the temperature gradient that causes core-to-peripheral heat redistribution after induction.
The surgeon marks the correct operative site on the patient before surgery. Who is responsible for verifying this mark during the time-out?
Answer: The entire surgical team, including surgeon, anesthesia provider, and scrub tech
The Universal Protocol requires all members of the surgical team to actively participate in the time-out and confirm the correct site marking before incision.
A patient with Type 1 diabetes has a preoperative blood glucose of 320 mg/dL. What is the priority action?
Answer: Notify the surgeon and anesthesia provider for glucose management before surgery
Hyperglycemia above 180-200 mg/dL significantly increases infection risk and impairs wound healing; the team must manage glucose levels before proceeding with elective surgery.
What is the correct chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) skin prep technique for a patient with iodine sensitivity?
Answer: CHG is an appropriate iodine-free alternative for surgical skin preparation
Chlorhexidine gluconate does not contain iodine and provides excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial coverage as an alternative prep agent for iodine-sensitive patients.
Which assessment finding in the preoperative period requires the surgical technologist to immediately alert the circulating nurse?
Answer: The patient's armband is missing and identity cannot be confirmed
A missing armband prevents proper two-identifier verification; surgery cannot safely proceed until patient identity is confirmed by the circulating nurse and charge nurse.
When preparing the OR for a morbidly obese patient (BMI > 40), which preoperative consideration is most important for positioning?
Answer: A bariatric-rated OR table and appropriately sized positioning aids must be confirmed available
Bariatric patients require specially rated tables (typically ≥500 lb capacity) and wider positioning aids to prevent equipment failure and pressure injuries.