Instruments & Equipment Management Flashcards

Which electrosurgical mode cuts tissue by passing current through a small area to rapidly heat and vaporize cells?

Answer: Cut mode

The cut mode delivers a continuous current that rapidly vaporizes cells through intense localized heat.

What is the correct way to pass a sharp instrument to the surgeon?

Answer: Place it handle-first into the surgeon's palm

Sharp instruments are passed handle-first so the surgeon's hand closes around the handle, not the sharp blade.

Which instrument is used to dilate the urethra or cervix during gynecological procedures?

Answer: Hank dilator

Hank (and Hegar) dilators are graduated metal rods used to progressively dilate the cervical os or urethra.

The Hasson technique for laparoscopic access differs from the Veress needle technique because it:

Answer: Uses a larger trocar with a blunt obturator under direct vision

The Hasson (open) technique uses a small skin incision and blunt trocar insertion under direct visualization, avoiding blind needle entry.

Which instrument measures the depth of a body cavity, such as the uterine cavity?

Answer: Uterine sound

A uterine sound is a long, graduated probe inserted to measure the depth and direction of the uterine cavity.

What type of needle is swaged (atraumatic)?

Answer: A needle permanently attached to the suture strand by the manufacturer

Swaged (atraumatic) needles have the suture material permanently attached at manufacture, eliminating the hole left by a traditional eyed needle.

Which retractor is commonly used during thyroid surgery to expose the operative field?

Answer: Army-Navy retractor

The Army-Navy retractor is a double-ended, shallow retractor frequently used to expose superficial structures such as the thyroid.