IAHCSMM Inventory and Supply Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which inventory management system issues supplies in the order they were received, ensuring oldest stock is used first?
- Last In, First Out (LIFO)
- First In, First Out (FIFO) (Correct answer)
- Just-In-Time (JIT)
- Par Level System
Correct answer: First In, First Out (FIFO)
FIFO (First In, First Out) ensures the oldest stock is used before newer stock, which is critical for maintaining sterility and preventing expiration of supplies.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a par level system in Central Service?
- To track employee productivity
- To establish minimum and maximum inventory quantities that trigger reorder (Correct answer)
- To document sterilization cycle logs
- To schedule preventive maintenance on equipment
Correct answer: To establish minimum and maximum inventory quantities that trigger reorder
Par levels define the minimum and maximum quantities of supplies to keep on hand, triggering reorders when stock falls to the minimum level.
Question 3: Which technology uses radio frequency signals embedded in tags to track surgical instruments and supply items throughout the facility?
- Bar code scanning
- RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) (Correct answer)
- QR code scanning
- Manual count sheets
Correct answer: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
RFID technology uses radio frequency signals to automatically identify and track tagged items without requiring line-of-sight scanning, improving instrument tracking efficiency.
Question 4: When conducting a physical inventory count in Central Service, what is the MOST important reason to count items stored in separate locations?
- To comply with Joint Commission accreditation standards
- To ensure accurate total stock levels and prevent over- or under-ordering (Correct answer)
- To identify items that need to be reprocessed
- To document chain of custody for recalled items
Correct answer: To ensure accurate total stock levels and prevent over- or under-ordering
Counting all storage locations ensures an accurate total inventory, preventing both costly overstock and dangerous stockouts of critical supplies.
Question 5: A case cart system is primarily designed to:
- Transport contaminated instruments to decontamination
- Deliver sterile supplies and instruments to the OR for specific surgical procedures (Correct answer)
- Store bulk inventory in Central Service
- Transfer biological indicator results to infection control
Correct answer: Deliver sterile supplies and instruments to the OR for specific surgical procedures
Case carts are assembled with procedure-specific sterile instruments and supplies and delivered to the OR, ensuring the surgical team has everything needed for a particular case.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes a consignment inventory arrangement in a hospital Central Service department?
- The hospital owns the inventory and pays upon delivery
- The vendor retains ownership of products until they are used, at which point the hospital is billed (Correct answer)
- The hospital buys bulk supplies at a discounted rate
- The vendor manages storage locations inside the CS department
Correct answer: The vendor retains ownership of products until they are used, at which point the hospital is billed
In a consignment arrangement, the vendor owns the product until it is consumed, reducing the hospital's upfront capital investment while ensuring product availability.
Question 7: When should a Central Service technician remove an item from inventory and quarantine it?
- When the item packaging has a tear, puncture, or compromised seal (Correct answer)
- When the item has been on the shelf for more than 30 days
- When the item's color does not match the expected appearance
- When the item was ordered from a non-preferred vendor
Correct answer: When the item packaging has a tear, puncture, or compromised seal
Any package with a compromised integrity (tear, puncture, or broken seal) can no longer be considered sterile and must be removed from service and reprocessed or discarded.
IAHCSMM Inventory and Supply Management 1
Which inventory management system issues supplies in the order they were received, ensuring oldest stock is used first?