Final Review Notes for Surgical Technology Exam

Key Figures in Medical History

  • Vesalius: Father of modern anatomy.

  • Roentgen: Developed the first x-ray machine.

  • Joseph Lister: Pioneer of medicine and surgery; first techniques for surgical antisepsis.

Surgical Team Roles

  • Circulating RN: Responsible for maintaining the patient's operative record and transporting the patient to the PACU.

  • Surgical First Assistant: Provides aid in exposure and technical functions during a surgery.

  • Private Surgical Technologist: Typically employed by a surgeon or physician group.

Phases of Surgical Case Management

  • Three Phases:

    • Preoperative

    • Intraoperative

    • Postoperative

Communication in Healthcare

  • Feedback: Essential for confirming that the message was understood, can be verbal or nonverbal.

  • Decoding: Takes place with the receiver in the communication process.

Healthcare Organization Structure

  • Role: Set of responsibilities associated with a job; broad in scope.

  • Organizational Structure: Hierarchical layers in a hospital's departments.

  • Proprietary Hospitals: Owned by physician groups.

Professional Organizations in Surgery

  • AORN: Likely organization for circulating RNs.

  • AST: Membership organization for surgical technology with elected directors.

  • IAHCSMM: Organization for central sterile processing department employees.

  • FDA: Agency to report patient injury from malfunctioning medical devices.

Legal Terms in Surgery

  • Negligence: Departure from the standard of care.

  • Malpractice: Professional misconduct resulting in harm.

  • Informed Consent: Agreement with full notice about what is being consented to.

  • Implied Consent: Applicable in emergency situations without formal agreement.

  • Res ipsa loquitur: Legal doctrine relevant in cases of wrong-site surgery.

Patient Care and Ethics

  • Ethics: System of moral principles guiding professional behavior.

  • Surgical Conscience: Assurance of safe professional behavior by CST or CSFA.

  • Advance Directives: Legal documents expressing patient wishes, NOT including a “Document of self-actualization”.

Surgical Procedures and Conditions

  • Palliative Care: Symptom relief for terminal patients to improve quality of life.

  • Elective Surgery: Non-immediate surgical interventions.

  • Urgent Conditions: Rescind “do not resuscitate” orders if therapeutic surgery is needed.

Surgical and Anesthesia Considerations

  • Sedation: Methods like rapid induction reduce pediatric patient anxiety.

  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Postoperative risk mitigated with compression devices; especially in bariatric patients in a reverse Trendelenburg position.

Infection Control and Sterilization

  • Antiseptics and Disinfectants: Differentiated use based on the surface type (animate vs inanimate).

  • Sterilization Methods: Follow specific protocols for steam sterilization, ethylene oxide, and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, each with different items and conditions.

Safety and Emergency Protocols in OR

  • Fire Safety: Mnemonic for using fire extinguishers is “PASS”.

  • Emergency Actions: Guidelines for managing surgical fires include “RACE”.

  • Infection Control: Air exchanges in the OR typically range from 20 to 25 per hour.

Disaster Response and Triage

  • Emergency Action Plan (EAP): Required practice biannually per The Joint Commission.

  • DIME Triage: Method for categorizing patient urgency during disasters.

  • Natural Disasters: Categorized into specific types like hurricanes and earthquakes.

Advances in Surgical Technology

  • Robotic Surgery: Surgeons operate from a console; robots classified by degrees of freedom.

  • Laser Uses in Surgery: CO2 lasers through specific mediums; requires safety protocols.

Chemistry and Electricity in Surgery

  • Sterilizing Agents: Identified methods for cleaning and ensuring safety equipment.

  • Conductivity: Understanding of how materials interact with electrical currents is crucial in surgical devices.

Injury Management and Hemostasis

  • Coagulation: Body's natural process to achieve hemostasis; critical during emergencies.

  • Anaphylaxis Management: Requires immediate administration of epinephrine to manage severe allergic reactions.

This is a detailed overview of essential terms, roles, legal matters, and safety protocols in surgical settings, aimed to help students prepare for examinations in surgical technology and perioperative care.