CST Exam Study Guide: Sterile Processing, Equipment, Instruments, Supplies, Intraoperative Role, and Positioning

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering sterile processing principles, OR equipment safety, instrument identification, suture types, wound management supplies, and patient positioning considerations for CST exam preparation.

Cleaning

The physical removal of soil, blood, and debris from instruments and devices.

Decontamination

The process that makes contaminated items safer to handle.

Disinfection

A process that eliminates many microorganisms but may not kill bacterial spores.

Sterilization

A validated process that destroys all microbial life, including bacterial spores.

Asepsis

The prevention of microbial contamination.

Biological Indicator (BI)

A sterilization monitoring method utilizing resistant bacterial spores; serves as the most direct routine measure of sterilization lethality.

Bowie-Dick Test

A diagnostic test used to evaluate air removal and steam penetration in prevacuum steam sterilizers.

Critical Items

Under the Spaulding classification, medical devices entering sterile tissue or the vascular system; requires sterilization.

Semicritical Items

Under the Spaulding classification, items contacting mucous membranes or nonintact skin; requires at least high-level disinfection and sterilization when possible.

Noncritical Items

Under the Spaulding classification, items that contact only intact skin; generally requires low-level disinfection.

Immediate-Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS)

A rapid steam sterilization cycle performed only when urgently needed for immediate patient use, never for convenience.

Monopolar ESU

An electrosurgical unit where current travels from the active electrode tip to the tissue and exits via a dispersive patient return electrode pad.

Bipolar ESU

An electrosurgical unit where current flows exclusively between two instrument tips, generally requiring no dispersive return pad.

Surgical Fire Triangle

The three components necessary for an operating room fire: ignition (ESU/laser), oxidizer (oxygen/nitrous oxide), and fuel (drapes/alcohol prep).

Dispersive Patient Return Electrode

A grounding pad placed on a well-perfused muscular area with full surface contact, avoiding scar tissue, metal implants, and bony prominences.

Harmonic Scalpel

An electromechanical surgical device that utilizes ultrasonic energy for simultaneous tissue cutting and coagulation.

Metzenbaum Scissors

Surgical dissecting scissors specifically designated for delicate tissue dissection.

Mayo Scissors

Heavy-duty surgical scissors designed for cutting dense, heavy tissue and surgical sutures.

Babcock Clamp

An atraumatic grasping clamp designed specifically for delicate structures such as bowel and fallopian tubes.

Allis Clamp

A grasping instrument with interlocking teeth designed for holding tough, resilient, or traumatic tissue.

Fogarty Catheter

A balloon-tipped vascular catheter designed specifically to extract an embolus or thrombus from a vessel.

Potts-Smith Scissors

Angled vascular scissors primarily utilized for performing and extending arteriotomies.

Kerrison Rongeur

A specialized bone-cutting punch rongeur used to excise small segments of bone and ligament during spinal procedures such as laminectomy.

Pituitary Rongeur

An excision instrument used to grasp and remove disc material and soft tissue in spinal surgery.

Auvard

A weighted vaginal speculum used for retraction during gynecological surgery.

Cottle Elevator

A double-ended surgical instrument used for periosteal and mucosal elevation and dissection in ENT procedures.

Randall Forceps

Curved grasping forceps specifically manufactured for locating and extracting urinary or biliary stones.

3 Scalpel Handle

A standard surgical knife handle that commonly mounts #10, #11, #12, and #15 blades.

4 Scalpel Handle

A large surgical knife handle designed specifically to mount #20-series blades.

Vicryl

A synthetic, absorbable, braided suture commonly utilized for soft tissue and muscle approximation.

Monocryl

A synthetic, absorbable, monofilament suture commonly utilized for subcuticular skin closure.

PDS

A synthetic, absorbable, monofilament suture with extended wound support, commonly used on fascia.

Prolene

A synthetic, nonabsorbable, monofilament suture commonly used in vascular anastomoses and skin closures.

Taper Point Needle

A round-bodied surgical needle that pierces and spreads tissue without cutting, indicated for bowel, vascular, and delicate soft tissues.

Reverse Cutting Needle

A triangular-bodied surgical needle with a cutting edge located on the outer curvature, indicated for tough tissues and skin closure.

Cottonoid (Pattie)

A specialized radiopaque, compressed absorbent pad used to protect delicate neural tissues during spine and craniotomy cases.

Penrose Drain

A passive, open surgical drain that allows fluids to exit via capillary action and gravity.

Strike-Through Contamination

Contamination that occurs when moisture soaks through a barrier cloth or wrap, allowing microorganisms to migrate onto the sterile field.

Common Peroneal Nerve

A peripheral nerve running along the lateral aspect of the fibular head susceptible to compression injury from stirrup placement in lithotomy positioning.

Brachial Plexus

A major nerve network susceptible to stretch and compression injury if supine arm board abduction exceeds $90^\circ$.