Perioperative Patient Care Flashcards
7 cards from real CST practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Perioperative Patient Care flashcards as text
What is the correct sequence for surgical hand antisepsis using a brush-stroke method?
Answer: Nails, fingertips, hands, wrists, forearms
Surgical scrubbing proceeds from most contaminated (nails/fingertips) to least contaminated (forearms) to prevent recontamination of cleaner areas.
Foley catheter insertion in the perioperative setting is primarily performed to:
Answer: Measure urine output and decompress the bladder during lengthy procedures
Indwelling urinary catheters allow continuous monitoring of urine output and prevent bladder distension during prolonged surgeries.
Which patient position places the greatest risk for brachial plexus injury?
Answer: Supine with arms abducted more than 90 degrees
Abducting the arm beyond 90 degrees stretches the brachial plexus, leading to potential nerve injury during surgery.
A patient's preoperative checklist reveals they took their daily aspirin this morning. This is most significant because aspirin:
Answer: Inhibits platelet aggregation and increases bleeding risk
Aspirin irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase, impairing platelet function and increasing intraoperative and postoperative bleeding risk.
When counting sponges intraoperatively, the scrub and circulator should:
Answer: Count together aloud, with the scrub separating each sponge
Two-person simultaneous counting with audible verbalization and physical separation of each sponge ensures an accurate and accountable count.
Which of the following is a sign of air embolism during a surgical procedure?
Answer: Sudden decrease in end-tidal CO2 with hypotension
Air embolism causes a sudden drop in end-tidal CO2 as air obstructs pulmonary circulation, accompanied by cardiovascular collapse.
The scrub technologist's primary role during patient positioning is to:
Answer: Maintain sterility of the surgical field while assisting positioning as needed
The scrub technologist must remain focused on maintaining sterile field integrity while supporting team positioning efforts without contaminating sterile items.