CST Practice Exam Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. How should reusable hinged instruments generally be arranged for cleaning and sterilization?
Locked on the first ratchet to protect the tips
Closed tightly to keep cleaning solution out of the joints
Nested together to minimize the space they occupy
Opened and disassembled when applicable so all surfaces are exposed
2. For pelvic exposure, the surgeon requests a supine position with the patient's head lower than the feet so abdominal organs shift toward the diaphragm. Which position is this?
Reverse Trendelenburg
Lateral
Trendelenburg
Fowler
3. Which microbial form is generally the most resistant to routine disinfection processes?
Enveloped virus
Vegetative bacterium
Bacterial endospore
Fungal yeast cell
4. During a procedure, the team wants to reduce hand-to-hand passing of scalpels and other sharps. Which approach best addresses that goal?
Pass each sharp with its working end pointed toward the receiver
Use an announced neutral zone for placing and retrieving sharps
Place used sharps along the outer edge of the instrument table
Keep every sharp submerged in a basin until needed
5. An unlabeled medication-filled syringe is discovered on the sterile field, and its contents cannot be verified. What should be done?
Label it using the surgical technologist's best recollection
Compare its color with the medication remaining in nearby containers
Keep it available but use it only near the end of the case
Remove and discard it according to policy
6. Hair at an operative site must be removed because it will interfere with the procedure. Which method is generally preferred?
Razor shaving the night before surgery
Clipping the hair as close as practical to the procedure time
Applying depilatory cream after the skin preparation
Pulling individual hairs after the sterile drapes are placed
7. How does saturated steam under pressure primarily destroy microorganisms?
Condensation washes microorganisms off instrument surfaces
Pressure physically crushes microbial cell walls
Steam removes all oxygen needed for microbial survival
Moist heat denatures and coagulates cellular proteins
8. Which three elements make up the operating-room fire triangle?
Heat, moisture, and pressure
Ignition source, oxidizer, and fuel
Electricity, metal, and smoke
Flame, drapes, and anesthesia equipment
9. A patient has a documented latex allergy. Which preparation is most appropriate?
Create a latex-safe environment using suitable alternatives and facility precautions
Use latex gloves only during initial room setup
Keep latex supplies in the room but cover them with sterile towels
Proceed normally unless the patient previously experienced anaphylaxis
10. Which cell is chiefly responsible for producing collagen during the proliferative phase of wound healing?
Macrophage
Platelet
Neutrophil
Fibroblast
11. A tissue sample is requested for an immediate frozen-section examination. How should it generally be handled?
Place it in formalin before sending it to pathology
Seal it in sterilization packaging before transport
Send it promptly and fresh according to the pathology protocol
Leave it on the sterile field until the procedure ends
12. A procedure enters the colon under controlled conditions without unusual contamination. How is the surgical wound generally classified?
Clean
Contaminated
Clean-contaminated
Dirty or infected
13. A wrapped instrument set is found to be wet when it arrives in the operating room after steam sterilization. What should the surgical technologist do?
Treat the set as contaminated and replace it
Use it after the wrapper air-dries
Open it only if the chemical indicator changed
Cover the damp area with a sterile towel
14. Before wound closure, the closing count does not match the initial count. What is the appropriate immediate response?
Document the difference after the patient leaves the room
Notify the surgeon and repeat the count while beginning a systematic search
Add a replacement item so the totals match
Finish closure because the initial count was correct
15. Which instrument is specifically designed to hold and drive a curved suture needle?
Mayo-Hegar needle holder
Allis tissue forceps
Backhaus towel clamp
Crile hemostat
16. Where should a monopolar electrosurgery dispersive electrode generally be placed?
On clean, dry skin over a large, well-vascularized muscle mass
Directly over a bony prominence nearest the incision
Over scar tissue because it has reduced sensation
On an area prepared with an alcohol solution that remains wet