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
Which of the following correctly describes the concept of 'zones of sterility' in the OR?
Answer: The sterile field includes draped patient, back table, Mayo stand, and gowned/gloved team members
The sterile field encompasses all sterile-draped surfaces and properly gowned/gloved personnel who maintain sterility throughout the procedure.
A surgeon requests an intraoperative frozen section. The scrub technologist's role is to:
Answer: Pass the specimen to the circulator using a sterile technique to preserve the chain of custody
The scrub passes the unfixed specimen to the circulator without breaking sterility; formalin is not used for frozen sections as it prevents freezing.
Which blood pressure cuff placement issue may cause inaccurate intraoperative readings?
Answer: Cuff size that is too small, resulting in falsely elevated readings
An undersized cuff compresses a smaller area of the artery and requires greater pressure to occlude, producing falsely elevated blood pressure readings.
When is it appropriate to open a sterile package by peeling it toward you?
Answer: When presenting to the scrub, peeling back flaps away from the sterile contents and field
The circulator peels packaging flaps back and away from sterile contents to present items to the scrub without contaminating the inner surface.
Which of the following physiologic changes is expected when a patient is placed in the Trendelenburg position?
Answer: Increased venous return and potential increase in intracranial pressure
Trendelenburg shifts blood centrally, increasing venous return and cardiac preload while also raising intracranial and intraocular pressure.
A specimen labeled 'right ovary' is removed. The scrub technologist should:
Answer: Confirm the specimen label with the surgeon and pass it to the circulator immediately with correct laterality noted
Specimens must be confirmed with the surgeon and passed promptly with correct identification, including laterality, to prevent mislabeling errors.
Which of the following best describes 'first-intention' (primary) wound healing?
Answer: Wound edges approximated with sutures or staples, healing with minimal scarring
Primary intention healing occurs when wound edges are surgically approximated, minimizing the gap and resulting in faster healing with less scar formation.