Certified Surgical Technologist Aseptic Technique and Sterilization 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum recommended distance a non-sterile person should maintain from a sterile field?
- 6 inches
- 12 inches
- 18 inches (Correct answer)
- 24 inches
Correct answer: 18 inches
Non-sterile personnel must maintain at least an 18-inch margin from a sterile field to prevent contamination.
Question 2: Which flash (IUSS) sterilization cycle parameter is correct for unwrapped, non-porous metal instruments in a pre-vacuum sterilizer?
- 132°C for 3 minutes
- 134°C for 3 minutes (Correct answer)
- 121°C for 10 minutes
- 132°C for 10 minutes
Correct answer: 134°C for 3 minutes
IUSS guidelines specify 134°C for 3 minutes for unwrapped non-porous items in a pre-vacuum sterilizer.
Question 3: When opening a peel pouch onto the sterile field, the circulator should:
- Tear the pouch from the sealed end toward the opening
- Peel the sides apart and drop contents without touching the inner surface (Correct answer)
- Flip the pouch upside down over the field
- Hand the pouch to the scrub to open
Correct answer: Peel the sides apart and drop contents without touching the inner surface
The circulator peels the pouch sides apart and drops the contents onto the sterile field without touching the inner sterile surface.
Question 4: Hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilization is CONTRAINDICATED for which type of items?
- Stainless steel instruments
- Rigid endoscopes
- Linens and cellulose-based materials (Correct answer)
- Titanium implants
Correct answer: Linens and cellulose-based materials
Hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilization cannot be used for cellulose-based materials (e.g., linen, paper) because they absorb the hydrogen peroxide and disrupt the cycle.
Question 5: Which action is correct when a sterile team member must turn their back during a procedure?
- They may turn freely if they avoid touching anything
- They should never turn their back to the sterile field (Correct answer)
- They should pass behind other sterile team members only
- They can turn briefly if supervised by the surgeon
Correct answer: They should never turn their back to the sterile field
Sterile team members must never turn their backs to the sterile field because the back of a sterile gown is not considered sterile.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of the surgical hand scrub before gowning and gloving?
- Achieve surgical-site sterility
- Reduce transient and resident flora on hands and forearms (Correct answer)
- Eliminate all microorganisms permanently
- Replace the need for sterile gloves
Correct answer: Reduce transient and resident flora on hands and forearms
The surgical hand scrub reduces transient and a significant portion of resident flora on hands and forearms, but does not achieve full sterilization.
Question 7: A sterile package has a small hole in the wrapping. What is the appropriate response?
- Use it if the indicator has changed color
- Cover the hole with sterile tape and use it
- Consider the package contaminated and reprocess (Correct answer)
- Check expiration date and proceed if not expired
Correct answer: Consider the package contaminated and reprocess
Any breach in packaging integrity compromises sterility; the item must be considered contaminated and must be reprocessed.
Certified Surgical Technologist Aseptic Technique and Sterilization 3
What is the minimum recommended distance a non-sterile person should maintain from a sterile field?