FREE Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) Questions and Answers

Question 1

A patient with a BMI of 30 is admitted for surgery. What potential difficulties during the surgical procedure can be brought on by obesity?

Accepted Answer

An infection is more prone to spread to the patient

Answer

Anemia is more likely to develop in the patient

Answer

Diarrhea is more likely to strike the sufferer

Answer

Postoperative bleeding is more likely to occur in the patient

Question 2

Before a colon resection, the nurse assesses a patient and finds that their blood pressure is excessive at 142/90 mmHg. The nurse should do what comes next, right?

Accepted Answer

Please note the vital sign in the patient's chart, let them rest peacefully in a room, and then check again in 30 minutes

Answer

Tell the patient they must lie flat for the next hour while you lower the bed's head

Answer

Obtain a prescription for antihypertensive drugs to maintain a healthy blood pressure level

Answer

Report the blood pressure reading to the doctor and consider rescheduling the surgery

Question 3

Which of the following is an intervention the nurse can use with a patient who has memory issues during the preoperative period's teaching phase?

Accepted Answer

Reduce outside distractions by closing the door and turning off the television

Answer

Request a private conversation with the patient to avoid interference from the patient's family

Answer

None of the above

Answer

To avoid upsetting the patient, do not correct incorrect facts

Question 4

When attempting to interview a patient with a language barrier but no interpreter is available, which of the following should the nurse do?

Accepted Answer

Act out some words while saying them to facilitate better understanding

Answer

Avoid using well-known words in the patient's native tongue if pronounced improperly

Answer

Speak slowly and loudly to make sure the patient can hear you

Answer

When an interpreter is there, refrain from speaking to the patient

Question 5

During a preoperative checkup, the nurse uses a tongue depressor to depress and move the patient's tongue. Which cranial nerve is being examined by this test?

Accepted Answer

XII (hypoglossal)

Answer

VII (facial)

Answer

V (trigeminal)

Answer

X (Vagus)

Question 6

What needs to be discussed by the nurse before using Hypaque for arteriography?

Accepted Answer

Is the patient allergic to shellfish?

Answer

Does the patient have high blood pressure?

Answer

What is the patient’s ethnic background?

Answer

Does the patient have anxiety?

Question 7

When the surgery is finished, the patient is extubated. The mouth and tube have been suctioned, and the cuff deflated. What comes next in this procedure?

Accepted Answer

Insert a suction catheter into the tube and apply suction while pulling the tube out

Answer

To make it easier to remove the tube, bend the patient's head downward and toward the chest

Answer

Ten more minutes of assisted ventilation should be provided using a bag attached to the ET tube

Answer

Apply cricoid pressure to the neck while carefully removing the tube with the thumb and forefinger

Question 8

Which safety measures must the nurse take into account when weighing a patient who requires a sling scale?

Accepted Answer

Both A and C

Answer

When rolling the patient onto the sling, make sure the bed rails are raised.

Answer

Drains or tubing should be allowed to dangle over the edge of the sling so as not to add weight.

Answer

Every time you weigh the patient, make sure they are dressed similarly.

Question 9

As part of a preoperative process, the nurse is getting ready to place a nasogastric tube inside of a patient. Which of the following statements about nasogastric tube placement is accurate?

Accepted Answer

To help the tube proceed during the surgery, the patient might need to drink water.

Answer

During placement, the patient is positioned in the reverse-Trendelenburg position.

Answer

A CT scan is used to confirm where the nasogastric tube should be placed.

Answer

Both B and C

Question 10

What one of the following is invasive hemodynamic monitoring used for during surgery?

Accepted Answer

To measure effectiveness of the heart muscle.

Answer

To confirm changes in the patient’s clinical status.

Answer

To assess for depletion or restoration of electrolytes.

Answer

Both A and C