SPD - Sterile Processing Department Technician Sterile Storage and Transport Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A sterile storage area must be maintained with specific environmental controls to preserve the integrity of sterile packages. Which of the following conditions is compliant with AAMI standards?
- Temperature at 80°F and humidity at 75%
- Positive air pressure with 12 air exchanges per hour
- Temperature at 72°F and humidity at 50% (Correct answer)
- Negative air pressure with 4 air exchanges per hour
Correct answer: Temperature at 72°F and humidity at 50%
According to AAMI ST79 and other guiding standards, sterile storage areas should have a temperature between 68°F–73°F and relative humidity between 30%–60%. Positive air pressure is required to prevent airborne contaminants from entering the clean space.
Question 2: When placing sterile items on storage shelves, what are the minimum required clearances from the floor, the ceiling (or sprinkler head), and an outside wall?
- 6 inches from floor, 12 inches from ceiling, 1 inch from wall
- 8-10 inches from floor, 18 inches from sprinkler head, 2 inches from wall (Correct answer)
- 4 inches from floor, 24 inches from sprinkler head, 4 inches from wall
- 12 inches from floor, 12 inches from ceiling, 6 inches from wall
Correct answer: 8-10 inches from floor, 18 inches from sprinkler head, 2 inches from wall
To ensure proper air circulation, facilitate cleaning, and comply with fire codes, sterile supplies must be stored at least 8 to 10 inches from the floor, 18 inches from a sprinkler head (or 5 inches from a plain ceiling), and 2 inches from an outside wall.
Question 3: A technician drops a wrapped tray on the floor. Upon inspection, there are no visible tears or punctures in the wrap. The hospital follows an event-related sterility policy. What is the appropriate action?
- Wipe the outside of the wrap with a disinfectant and place it back on the shelf.
- Use the set immediately since the wrap is intact.
- Consider the item contaminated and send it for reprocessing. (Correct answer)
- Place a dust cover over the set and mark it for use only in non-critical procedures.
Correct answer: Consider the item contaminated and send it for reprocessing.
Event-related sterility maintains that an item is sterile until an event compromises the package integrity. Dropping a package on the floor is considered a contamination event because the impact can stress the package seals and fibers, potentially creating microscopic breaches, even if no damage is visible. The package should be considered contaminated and reprocessed.
Question 4: When transporting sterile instrument trays from the Sterile Processing Department to the Operating Room on a case cart, which of the following is a critical best practice?
- Placing heavy trays on top of lighter peel-packed items.
- Using an open cart to allow for easy visual inspection during transport.
- Ensuring the cart has a solid bottom shelf and is covered. (Correct answer)
- Loading the cart in the decontamination area to save time.
Correct answer: Ensuring the cart has a solid bottom shelf and is covered.
Transport carts for sterile items should be covered or enclosed to protect packages from environmental contaminants and accidental contact. The bottom shelf should be solid to prevent any potential contamination from splashing up from the floor.
Question 5: A hospital's sterile supply stock is managed to ensure that older items are used before newer ones. This practice minimizes waste and ensures that items with the earliest sterilization dates are used first. This inventory management method is known as:
- LIFO (Last-In, First-Out)
- Just-In-Time (JIT)
- FIFO (First-In, First-Out) (Correct answer)
- HIFO (Highest-In, First-Out)
Correct answer: FIFO (First-In, First-Out)
FIFO (First-In, First-Out) is the standard stock rotation principle used for sterile supplies. It ensures that the items that were sterilized first are used first, preventing items from sitting on shelves for extended periods and potentially being unnecessarily reprocessed.
Question 6: During transport of sterile items to an off-site surgical center, which of the following is the MOST important consideration to maintain sterility?
- Using the fastest delivery vehicle available.
- Placing items in a clean, secure, and covered container to protect them from environmental conditions. (Correct answer)
- Ensuring the driver has a copy of the instrument count sheet.
- Stacking all containers tightly to prevent shifting during the drive.
Correct answer: Placing items in a clean, secure, and covered container to protect them from environmental conditions.
When transporting sterile items outside the primary facility, they are exposed to uncontrolled environmental conditions. It is critical to place them in a clean, leak-proof, puncture-resistant container that is covered or enclosed to protect the packaging integrity from dirt, moisture, and physical damage during transit.
SPD - Sterile Processing Department Technician Sterile Storage and Transport Questions and Answers
A sterile storage area must be maintained with specific environmental controls to preserve the integrity of sterile packages.
Which of the following conditions is compliant with AAMI standards?