Key Terminology (FINAL)

Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA)

Responsible for ensuring that accredited programs continue to meet or exceed the standards for education as established by CAAHEP.

Ambulatory surgery center (ASC)

Provides surgical services to patients who do not require hospitalization, surgeons' offices or clinics, and labor and delivery (L&D) units where separate ORs are available to perform cesarean sections, dilation and curettage, and tubal ligations.

American College of Surgeons (ACS)

A physician organization dedicated to improving the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting standards for surgical education and practice.

Association of Surgical Technologists (AST)

The national organization that represents the profession.

Circulator

An RN who is a nonsterile team member assisting the surgeon and other healthcare professionals during surgical procedures.

Competency

The ability to successfully perform critical work functions in a defined work setting by applying a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Confidentiality

The ability to keep a patient's information private.

Core Curriculum for Surgical Technology

Assists in presenting curricular goals that reflect core OR practices and incorporating those goals with the changes in technology and workplace that focus on the Surgical Technologist.

Doctor of osteopathy (DO)

Doctors trained in the connection between nerves, muscles, and bones who take a holistic approach to medical care.

Elective surgery

A planned, nonemergency, nonurgent procedure that may be required for quality of life.

Emergency surgery

Medical emergency that requires immediate surgical intervention.

Health maintenance organization (HMO)

Provides insurance coverage and a designated range of medical services at a capitated rate of payment.

Intraoperative

The second phase of surgical case management that occurs during the surgical procedure.

The Joint Commission (TJC)

An independent national organization that develops standards and accredits healthcare organizations in the United States.

National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)

Determines, through examination, if an individual has acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge of surgical technology or surgical first assisting.

Optional surgery

A procedure that is not required to provide quality of life to the patient but can improve it.

Perioperative

The term that refers to all three phases of surgery.

Postoperative

The third phase of surgical case management that occurs when the surgical procedures are complete.

Preceptor

A surgical technologist who possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to instruct students in surgical technology.

Preoperative

First phrase of surgical case management that occurs before the surgery begins.

Professional

To maintain competence in a specialized body of knowledge and skills.

Proprietary

Owned by an individual or corporation as an investment.

Surgical conscience

The ability to be aware of everything within the surgical technologist environment that is sterile and nonsterile.

Surgical technologist

Health professionals who are an integral part of the team providing surgical care to patients; they possess expertise in the theory of the principles of asepsis and the application of sterile techniques.

Urgent surgery

A surgical intervention for a medical condition that requires surgery within a short period of time.

Airborne bacteria

Bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can spread through the air in the form of tiny droplets.

Back table

A large table on which a back table pack is placed and opened sterilely to create a sterile field.

Breakpoints

Bendable areas of the table located at the knee, waist, and head of the operating room bed.

Case cart system

An enclosed cart that assists in ensuring that the right instruments and supplies are transported to the operating room safely; may contain supplies for a single case or multiple cases on separate shelves.

Central sterile supply and processing department (CSPD)

an area located outside the surgery department that is responsible for the final assembly, sterilization, and storage of instruments as well as storing sterile supplies not needed for immediate use.

Decontamination room

a room located above or below the surgical department that contains an elevator to separately transport sterile and contaminated instruments.

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters

a filter that can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm).

Ionizing radiation

radiation omitted from x-rays or fluoroscopy.

Kick buckets

buckets located low to the floor that contain four wheels and can be easily moved with one's foot.

Laminar airflow

unidirectional positive air pressure.

Linen hampers

large ringed stands that are lined with color-coded bags to indicate disposal.

Mayo stand

a small stand that can be moved up to the operative field, extends across the patient, and has an adjustable height.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

the federal organization dedicated to protecting the health of workers in the workplace.

Pathology department

the department responsible for testing, processing, and diagnosis of specimens retrieved during the surgical procedure.

Perfusionist

a certified medical technician responsible for maintaining extracorporeal oxygenation during cardiovascular procedures.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

equipment used to prevent or reduce the risk of exposure to blood or bodily fluids.

Plume

results from cauterized or coagulated tissue from a laser or electrosurgery.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

a synthetic resin produced from the polymerization of methyl methacrylate, commonly referred to in surgery as bone cement.

Postanesthesia care unit (PACU)

area located adjacent to the surgery department where patients will recover from surgery.

Preoperative holding

an area where a patient will be prepared for surgery.

Prophylaxis

an action taken to prevent disease, especially by specified means or against a specified disease.

Restricted areas

areas that include the OR suites, substerile rooms, and sterile storage rooms.

Ring stands

four-wheeled metal stands that can have one or two rings located at the top to hold sterile basins.

Semi-restricted areas

areas where PPE is mandatory for entrance; if not separated, signage or a red line on the floor will indicate separation of areas.

Standard Precautions

a technique that prevents or reduces the spread of microorganisms from one site to another.

Suction outlet

an assistive device located on the wall or ceiling in the OR to help maintain a clear airway, contains blood and body fluids, and prevents water from pooling on the floor.

Surgical site infection (SSI)

an infection that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place.

Unrestricted areas

areas outside of the surgery department that contain ancillary departments which work closely with the surgery department.

Allograft

tissue that can be transplanted from one patient to another.

Coping mechanisms

behaviors that aim to avoid stress or unpleasant emotions.

Cultural competence

the ability of providers and organizations to effectively deliver health care services that meet the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients.

Distress

a type of stress that has negative implications.

Elective procedure

a procedure that is scheduled in advance to treat non-immediate health concerns.

Eustress

a term for the positive, desirable form of stress.

Euthanasia

the practice of ending the life of a patient to limit the patient's suffering.

Five stages of grief

five stages that apply to any form of personal loss, such as the death of a loved one or when a patient is faced with death.

Golden hour

the concept that a shorter response time equates to a greater chance for survival for the trauma patient.

Holistic

an approach to care that treats the whole person, providing for their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs.

Kinematics

provides valuable information to HCPs when assessing patients with traumatic injuries.

Life support

set of therapies that preserve a patient's life when body systems are not functioning sufficiently to sustain it.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

human motivation based on the level of need; these needs are arranged in a pyramid-shaped hierarchy.

Nonelective procedure

surgery that is urgent to treat a potentially life-threatening condition.

Palliative care

mitigating suffering by managing symptoms and improving the quality of life among those living with a serious illness, no matter the diagnosis or stage of disease.

Physical needs

represent the lowest level of the hierarchy and is fundamental for survival.

Psychological needs

most basic biological needs, such as the need for water, oxygen, food, and temperature regulation.

Revised Trauma Score (RTS)

used to assess the severity of the trauma.

Social need

the need to feel love, intimacy, friendship, family, feedback, acceptance, and belonging.

Spiritual needs

the need to have meaning, purpose, value in life, love, a sense of belonging, and to feel hope, peace, and gratitude.

Therapeutic care

the treatment of the patient for the purpose of preventing or combating disease or illness.

Vulnerable patient

a group who is susceptible or at an increased risk of receiving disparity in medical care because of physical, psychological, or social differences.

Population

number of people in a single area or group.

Autoclave

a machine that uses steam under pressure to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores on items that are placed inside a pressure vessel.

Bioburden

the quantity and types of native bacterial and fungal flora present on or in a device, substrate, or chemical (test unit).

Biological indicator (BI)

provides information on whether necessary conditions were met to kill a specified number of microorganisms (bacterial spores) for a given sterilization process.

Bowie-Dick test

evaluates the performance of pre-vacuum sterilizers by confirming adequate air removal from the sterilizer chamber.

Cavitation

the process whereby pressure variations in a liquid can cause countless small cavities to form and then implode in a short period of time.

Chemical indicator/integrator

a chemical indicator visually confirms that an item has experienced a sterilization process, whereas the control integrator can demonstrate adequate or inadequate exposure to sterilizing conditions.

Contaminated

refers to something that has become dirty, marked, ruined, or diseased due to contact or association.

Endoscope

a medical device with a light attached; used to look inside a body cavity or organ.

Event-related sterility

an item is sterile until an event occurs to make the sterility of the product questionable (e.g., dropping the item on the floor, moisture detected on the packaging, or an item reaching its expiration date).

Immediate-use steam sterilization (IUSS)

the shortest possible time from an item being removed from the sterilizer to the aseptic transfer onto the sterile field.

Immersion

when an item is dipped in and fully covered by a substance or liquid.

Integrity

the state of a package or item not being compromised, damaged, or altered during storage or before use.

Intermediate-level disinfection

the use of an agent that kills a wider range of pathogens than a low-level disinfectant but does not kill bacterial spores.

Julian date

the number of days that have elapsed since January 1 of the given year; used to indicate the date of sterilization.

Permeability

the ability or quality of a material or membrane that causes it to allow liquids or gases to pass through it.

Sterile field

a designated area that is free of microbes and other pathogens that can infect someone; can include surfaces, instruments, and people.

Sterile technique

the use of practices that restrict microorganisms in the environment and prevent contamination of the surgical field.

Sterilization

the ability to destroy all microorganisms on the surface of an article or in a fluid to prevent disease transmission associated with the use of that item.

Ultrasonic cleaner

Assists with the removal of small organic particles and soil from the areas of instrumentation that manual or mechanical cleaning cannot reach.

adhesive

Type of surgical drape that is typically made of a thin, clear plastic material that has an adhesive backing and is applied to the skin; the drape may be impregnated with an antimicrobial iodine agent.

anticipate

To foresee or prepare for a situation before it occurs, such as the surgical technologist anticipating the surgeon's needs.

antimicrobial

Refers to an agent capable of killing some microorganisms and suppressing the growth of other types of microbes.

biohazard

Biologic material, which may be infective, that threatens humans or the environment.

catheterization

The use or act of placing a catheter.