Surgical Instrumentation & Equipment Flashcards

Which type of scissors are used to cut suture material rather than tissue?

Answer: Mayo scissors

Mayo scissors have heavy, straight or curved blades designed for cutting thick suture material and fascia, not delicate tissue.

A Bookwalter retractor system is best classified as which type of retractor?

Answer: Self-retaining retractor

The Bookwalter is a self-retaining ring retractor system that attaches to the OR table and holds abdominal walls open without requiring an assistant.

What is the proper method for counting instruments during a surgical procedure according to AORN guidelines?

Answer: Perform initial count before surgery, then count at closure of each body cavity and final skin closure

AORN guidelines require instrument counts before the procedure begins, at closure of each body cavity, at final skin closure, and whenever the scrub person changes.

The Penrose drain is correctly described as a:

Answer: Passive soft rubber tube drain

A Penrose drain is a passive, soft latex rubber flat tube that drains wound secretions by capillary action and gravity without suction.

What does the term 'cutting' refer to in the context of electrosurgical units (ESU)?

Answer: A continuous low-voltage, high-frequency current that rapidly heats cells to vaporize them

The cutting mode uses continuous, low-voltage, high-frequency current that heats intracellular water rapidly, vaporizing cells for precise cutting.

Which instrument is specifically designed for grasping and manipulating the appendix during appendectomy?

Answer: Babcock clamp

The Babcock clamp has atraumatic, curved fenestrated jaws designed to encircle and grasp tubular structures like the appendix, fallopian tube, or ureter without crushing.