Surgical Instrumentation & Equipment Flashcards
7 cards from real NBSTSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Surgical Instrumentation & Equipment flashcards as text
Which electrosurgical unit (ESU) mode uses a continuous waveform to provide hemostasis through tissue coagulation?
Answer: Coag mode
Coag mode delivers an intermittent, high-voltage waveform that desiccates and coagulates tissue proteins to achieve hemostasis.
What is the primary purpose of a grooved director during surgery?
Answer: To guide a scalpel when incising along a structure
A grooved director is placed under a structure (such as a sinus tract or fistula) to guide and protect underlying tissue while the overlying tissue is incised.
A bipolar electrosurgical forceps differs from monopolar ESU because it:
Answer: Passes current only between its two tips, limiting spread
Bipolar ESU confines current between the two forceps tips, making it safer near delicate structures such as nerves and in patients with implanted electronic devices.
The Penrose drain is categorized as which type of drain?
Answer: Passive open drain
The Penrose is a soft latex tube that drains passively by capillary action and gravity without any suction mechanism.
When setting up a pneumatic tourniquet for an extremity procedure, the cuff should be placed:
Answer: At the widest circumference of the extremity, proximal to the operative site
The cuff is placed at the widest part of the limb proximal to the surgical site to evenly distribute pressure and protect neurovascular structures.
A Harrington retractor (sweetheart retractor) is primarily used to retract which structure?
Answer: The liver during upper abdominal surgery
The curved, heart-shaped blade of the Harrington retractor is designed to gently retract the liver during upper abdominal procedures such as cholecystectomy or esophageal surgery.
Which stapling device is used to create an anastomosis between two hollow viscera (e.g., bowel segments) in a circular, end-to-end fashion?
Answer: Circular (EEA) stapler
The EEA (end-to-end anastomosis) circular stapler simultaneously places two concentric rows of staples and cuts a circular core to create a lumen between two hollow structures.
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