Sterile Field Management 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 Sterile Field Management flashcards as text
Which scenario represents an acceptable practice when establishing a sterile field?
Answer: Opening sterile supplies only when the patient is in the room and surgery is imminent
Sterile supplies should only be opened when surgery is imminent and the patient is present to minimize the time the sterile field is exposed to potential contamination.
What is the proper method for the First Assistant to don sterile gloves after gowning, using closed gloving technique?
Answer: Use the sleeve cuffs to manipulate gloves onto the hands without exposing bare skin
Closed gloving requires using the gown sleeve cuffs to manipulate the gloves onto the hands, preventing any exposed skin from contaminating the sterile glove exterior.
During a procedure, OR air conditioning creates a strong airflow across the sterile field. What is the primary concern?
Answer: Airborne microorganisms may be deposited onto the sterile field
Strong airflow increases the risk of airborne microorganism deposition onto the sterile field, potentially causing contamination and subsequent surgical site infection.
A sterile instrument is handed off the field to the circulator and then needs to be returned. What must occur first?
Answer: The instrument must be re-sterilized before returning to the sterile field
Once a sterile instrument passes from the sterile field to an unsterile person or area, it is considered contaminated and must be re-sterilized before any reuse.
Which behavior by a scrubbed First Assistant is NOT a breach of sterile technique?
Answer: Keeping sterile gloved hands above the waist at all times when not working
Keeping sterile gloved hands above waist level at all times when not actively working maintains sterile technique, as areas below the waist are considered unsterile.
What is the correct response when a sterile glove contacts the outside of an unsterile item delivered to the field by the circulator?
Answer: Change the contaminated glove immediately before continuing
Any contact between a sterile glove and an unsterile surface constitutes contamination, requiring immediate glove change before continuing.
Which of the following items is considered sterile up to the field drape edge?
Answer: The top surface of the sterile drape within the operative field boundaries
The top surface of sterile drapes within the operative field boundaries is considered sterile; the drape edges and anything below the table level are not.