Patient Safety & Aseptic Practices Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Safety & Aseptic Practices flashcards as text
When is it appropriate to use flash (immediate use) steam sterilization in the perioperative setting?
Answer: Only as a last resort when a needed item is contaminated and no sterile replacement is available
Flash sterilization should only be used as a last resort for contaminated items with no sterile replacement available; it is not a substitute for standard sterilization.
A patient scheduled for total knee replacement reports a latex allergy. Which action is most important?
Answer: Ensure the case is scheduled as the first case of the day in a latex-safe environment
Latex-allergic patients should be scheduled as the first case of the day to minimize latex particle accumulation in the air, and a latex-safe environment must be prepared.
When performing surgical site skin preparation, which direction should the prep solution be applied?
Answer: From the incision site outward in a circular motion
Skin prep solution is applied from the incision site outward in a circular motion, moving debris away from the cleanest area to prevent contamination of the operative site.
Which statement about standard precautions is correct?
Answer: Standard precautions apply to all patients regardless of diagnosis or infection status
Standard precautions apply universally to all patients regardless of known infection status, treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious.
During a laparoscopic procedure, smoke is produced by electrosurgical devices. What is the primary risk associated with surgical smoke?
Answer: Inhalation of viable cellular material and carcinogens contained in surgical smoke
Surgical smoke contains viable cellular material, carcinogens, mutagens, and viral DNA that pose significant inhalation risks to OR personnel.
A first assistant observes that the scrub technician's back is turned to the sterile back table momentarily. What principle does this violate?
Answer: The sterile field must always be visible to the sterile team members
Sterile persons must always keep the sterile field in view because turning your back on the sterile field means you cannot monitor for contamination.
Which patient safety goal is specifically addressed by marking the surgical site before the patient enters the operating room?
Answer: Preventing wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-person surgery
Pre-operative surgical site marking is a Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal specifically designed to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient surgery.