STE 2068 Practice Exam 4

Which of the following is the opening in the occipital bone through which the spinal cord passes?

foramen magnum

Sterile supplies and instruments for a case have been opened in OR 1. A surgical technologist was just informed that the case has been moved to OR 2 and the next case in OR 1 is scheduled in two hours. Which of the following is the BEST course of action?

New sterile supplies and instruments should be obtained for OR 2 and the setup in OR 1 should be disposed of.

Which of the following is the body's local tissue reaction to injury?

inflammation

Which of the following instruments is used for a common bile duct exploration?

Randall forceps

Which of the following is the MOST important consideration when cutting suture?

avoiding the knot

Which of the following structures are ligated and divided during the cholecystectomy?

cystic artery and cystic duct

Which of the following may be used when applying a sterile dressing to a skin graft site?

pressure dressing

When performing a dilation and curettage, which of the following instruments is used to grasp the cervix?

Schroeder

On the way into the operating room, a terminally ill patient tells the nurse, “No matter what happens, it will be okay.” Which of the Five Stages of Grief is the patient MOST likely in?

acceptance

Which of the following instruments is used for placement of cottonoid strips during a craniotomy?

bayonet forceps

When two individuals in sterile attire pass one another in the sterile field, they should

pass back-to-back.

Which of the following is used to oxygenate and circulate blood?

extracorporeal bypass

The PRIMARY consideration in selecting an appropriate anesthetic agent is the

physiologic condition of the patient.

If two basins are wrapped together for sterilizing, they should be packaged with one basin

stacked inside the other and separated by a towel.

Which of the following items may be used in positioning a patient for a total hip arthroplasty?

bean bag

A surgical technologist sees a neighbor being admitted. How should the surgical technologist respond?

Do not acknowledge the neighbor unless greeted first.

Instruments that come in contact with the appendiceal stump during an appendectomy should be

placed in a separate basin.

Which of the following is the MOST serious complication of a strangulated hernia?

necrosis

Which of the following techniques is NOT acceptable for draping the patient?

Readjust the drapes as necessary after placement.

Which of the following structures is separated first when a paramedian incision is performed?

rectus abdominis

Which of the following is MOST likely to be used to stabilize a cervical fracture?

Mayfield clamp

During a transurethral resection of the prostate, bleeding is controlled by

cauterization

To prevent contamination at the end of a surgical procedure, which of the following should be removed LAST by the surgical technologist in the scrub role?

surgical gloves

In order to remove a portion of the kidney, the surgeon must enter which of the following?

Gerota's fascia

Which of the following is the MOST common straight catheter used prior to laparoscopic gynecological surgery in the OR?

Robinson

A Stamey needle is used for which of the following types of surgery?

bladder suspension

Immediately before a hemorrhoidectomy, which of the following procedures might be performed on the patient in the operating room?

sigmoidoscopy

Which of the following is a fenestrated drape?

a drape with an opening that allows exposure of the operative site

An appendectomy incision closed using suture is considered to be which of the following types of wound closure?

primary intention

Which of the following patients is MOST likely to acquire a nosocomial infection?

a male patient who has diabetes

The appendiceal stump, when inverted, is held in place by which of the following types of suture?

purse-string

Aerobic organisms are BEST characterized as

oxygen-requiring.

The PRIMARY purpose of chest tubes is to

re-establish negative pressure.

Which of the following is a surgical instrument designed for retracting?

Gelpi

Which of the following surgical procedures may be used to remove a carcinoma from the head of the pancreas?

Whipple

A sterile item used with an electrosurgical unit is the

active electrode.

What is the desired effect of atropine sulfate when used as a preoperative medication?

drying of secretions

A postoperative total arthroplasty patient presents to the emergency department with severe throbbing pain, fever, and malaise. Which of the following is the likely diagnosis?

osteomyelitis

Which of the following is used to stabilize a fractured finger?

Kirschner wires

Which of the following is the primary purpose for changing into operating room attire?

to prevent the of spread of microorganisms

A surgical technologist is assigned to a room where the patient happens to be his neighbor. To protect patient confidentiality, the technologist should indicate that he knows the patient and

request to be removed from the room.

Mannitol (Osmitrol) is used in neurosurgical procedures to

decrease intracranial pressure.

Which of the following lies between the lung and the chest wall?

pleura

Which of the following is applied as a nonadherent dressing?

adaptic

A Balfour is used in which of the following procedures?

sigmoid resection

If the VII cranial nerve is severed, which of the following is the result?

facial paralysis

When assisting with the closure of a skin incision and operating the skin stapler, the surgical technologist in the scrub role is placing the staples through which two layers?

cuticular and subcuticular

During which of the following surgeries is a Meckel's diverticulum typically discovered?

appendectomy

Which of the following layers are transected when a subcostal flank incision is used for a nephrectomy?

oblique muscles

A perforator is used for which of the following procedures?

craniotomy

In preparation for a cranial aneurysm, which of the following pieces of equipment would MOST likely be used?

microscope

During strabismus surgery, which of the following is the first tissue layer that must be incised?

conjunctiva

When can instrument counts be omitted?

if an emergency procedure must be performed

In which of the following positions is a patient placed for a right nephrectomy?

left lateral kidney

Which of the following examples illustrates UNSAFE technique for disposing of contaminated sharps?

Used suture needles and scalpel blades are removed from the needle counter and individually placed in the biohazard sharps container.

Why is the right kidney typically several centimeters lower than the left kidney?

The liver rests superior and anterior to the right kidney.

Which of the following should be the MINIMUM exposure time in a flash sterilizer for unwrapped instruments?

3 minutes

If a routine surgical procedure was performed without consent, the surgeon committed

battery.

If an adult patient refuses a blood transfusion, the surgical staff should

not administer blood to the patient.

During the intraoperative phase, which of the following activities can be completed by both sterile and non-sterile members of the surgical team?

caring for the specimen

A lumbar meningocele involves removal of

a fluid-filled sac.

Wrinkle-free padding is applied to an extremity before application of a tourniquet to avoid

skin injuries.

A specimen obtained for frozen section is generally removed from the sterile field intraoperatively because it

is sent to pathology immediately.

Which of the following procedures is used to visualize the cystic, hepatic, and common ducts?

cholangiography

A scleral buckle procedure repairs

detached retinas.

Which of the following retractors should the surgical technologist have available to provide exposure to the patellar tendon while harvesting the graft for an ACL repair?

Senn

The surgical technologist in the scrub role should remain sterile following which of the following surgical procedures?

carotid endarterectomy

During dissection of the cystic duct in an open cholecystectomy, which of the following instruments is necessary?

Mixter clamp

A patient entering the operating room for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy looks jaundiced. Which of the following is the BEST explanation for this?

biliary obstruction

The primary purpose of a local anesthetic is to

block peripheral nerve receptors.

Which of the following is the correct skin preparation for a female patient undergoing a right mastectomy with possible axillary dissection?

shoulder, upper arm and extending down to the elbow, axilla, chest to the table line, and to the left shoulder

When performing a parotidectomy, which of the following nerves is identified and preserved with the use of a nerve stimulator?

facial nerve

Which of the following medications is the anesthesia provider responsible for recording the name, amount, and delivery method during a surgical procedure?

propofol

As a surgical technologist begins to prep a female patient for Foley catheterization, a bulge in the vaginal wall is noticed. Which of the following would cause this bulge?

cystocele

A surgical technologist enters the OR after scrubbing and notices spots of blood on the OR lights. Which of the following actions is the MOST appropriate?

Break scrub to clean the lights and help open a new sterile field.

Which of the following instruments should be included in a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) setup?

resectoscope

Which of the following instruments has teeth?

Kocher

When entering the abdominal cavity, which of the following BEST describes the order of contact with the layers of tissue?

skin, subcutaneous, fascia, muscle, peritoneum

If a Kelly clamp is left in a patient who underwent a cholecystectomy, which of the following legal concepts apply?

res ipsa loquitur

A surgical technologist just opened an instrument set that is wet inside after undergoing steam sterilization. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the condensate in the package and how can it be corrected?

The absorbent towels were wrapped too tightly around the instrument tray, so they retained moisture. The tray should be reprocessed with loosely wrapped new towels.

A surgeon's preference card indicates the surgeon wears a size L gown and double-gloves with a size 7 inner glove and size 6-1/2 outer glove, and the first assistant wears a size XL gown and double-gloves with a size 7-1/2 inner glove and size 7 outer glove. The first assistant arrives prior to the surgeon. Which of the following is the proper order to place the sterile attire on the back table?

XL gown, 7-1/2 glove, 7 glove, L gown, 7 glove, 6-1/2 glove

Following a surgical procedure, which of the following is the BEST sequence of actions for a surgical technologist to take?

Remove sterile drapes, remove gown and gloves, and don a pair of unsterile gloves to aid in the care of the postoperative patient.

Which of the following drugs neutralizes the action of heparin?

protamine sulfate

Which of the following wounds is MOST likely in the inflammatory phase of wound healing?

an abdominal incision, 20 minutes post-closure

To revascularize the heart muscle of a patient with heart disease, a graft may be anastomosed between which of the following two vessels?

internal mammary artery to affected coronary artery

A laparotomy drape has been placed on a patient, and unprepped skin on the operative site is exposed. Which of the following is the BEST next step?

Remove drapes and re-prep.

While preparing a sterile field, a surgical technologist secures the Bovie holster to the Mayo stand. The surgeon insists on keeping the Bovie by him toward the head of the patient. Which of the following would be the BEST course of action?

Move Bovie holster up by head of patient.

Ratcheted instruments should be

opened for washing and sterilizing.

An effective packaging material used for a Balfour to be steam sterilized

permits penetration by the sterilant.

The parathyroid gland regulates

calcium.

Scoliosis is MOST commonly found in which of the following curves of the vertebral column?

thoracic

Which of the following is the MOST effective mechanical method of controlling bleeding occurring from needle holes in vessel anastomoses?

pledget

Which of the following should be visualized on an x-ray to determine if a long bone is still growing?

epiphyseal plate

Which of the following procedures for obtaining an informed consent form is appropriate?

The patient is asked to sign the consent form after the surgeon has explained the procedure.

Which of the following procedures is used for removal of an embolus?

balloon catheterization

Which of the following items should be used to transport a patient in traction?

bed

At the conclusion of the surgical procedure, the Mayo stand should

remain sterile until the patient leaves the room.

Which of the following is used during a tympanoplasty?

operating microscope

Removing a cataract by ultrasonic vibration and aspiration is called

phacoemulsification.

Surgical loupes are used to

magnify the surgical field.