Chapter 7 Exam Questions (Rehearsal)

When opening a wrapped item such as a gown on a Mayo stand, the contents and wrappers are considered sterile up to what distance from the edge of the wrapper?

1 inch from the edge

A nonsterile person should approach a sterile area face forward while maintaining a distance of:

12 inches

How long should the steam biological indicator be incubated before the reading is recorded?

24 hours

What is the weight that AAMI has recommended instrument sets should NOT exceed?

25 pounds

What would be the exposure phase time for an unwrapped instrument set with some lumens in a prevacuum/dynamic air removal steam autoclave?

4 minutes

The recommended biological indicator for hydrogen peroxide gas plasma is:

Bacillus atriohaeus

Which term means the number of microbes or amount of organic debris on an object at any given time?

Bioburden

What is the common name for the high-level disinfectant sodium hypochlorite?

Bleach

Where should the biological test pack be placed on the steam sterilization cart for the first run of the day?

Bottom rack, front of sterilizer, over the drain

What is another name for the intermediate-level disinfectant compound phenol?

Carbolic acid

Which of the following statements regarding peratic acid sterilized items are correct? - Items must be wrapped with Tyvek wrappers instead of cellulose-based wrappers - Aeration times will add hours to the total sterilization cycle time - Paper filters in the top lid and bottom of container must be changed before each cycle - Cassettes are not sealed, due to liquid immersion during the process, so they cannot be stored

Cassettes are not sealed, due to liquid immersion during the process, so they cannot be stored

What is the type process the ultrasound cleaner uses to dislodge minute particles of soil or organic debris?

Cavitation

Which kind of quality control device consists of a paper that has been impregnated with a dye that changes color in the presence of a specific temperature and sterilant?

Chemical indicator

Which of the following is an acceptable position for placement of a scrubbed, gowned, and gloved surgical technologist's hands?

Clasped together in front at waist level

Anaerobic gram-positive bacteria responsible for gas gangrene, cellulitis, and fasciitis

Clostridium perfringens

How should air hoses of powered instruments or fiber-optic light cords be placed in rigid container trays for sterilization?

Coiled loosely in perforated or mesh basket

Which of the following would be appropriate for use on animate surfaces? - Disinfectant - Antiseptic - Decontaminant - Steriliant

Disinfectant

What is a potential risk of placing surgical instruments of dissimilar metallic type together in a washer sterilizer cycle?

Electrolyte conduction reaction

Which type of chemical solution is made of catalysts that aid in breaking down proteinaceous debris such as blood and fat?

Enzymatic

Which sterilization method presents the greatest exposure risk to CSPD personnel, is expensive, and requires the longest total cycle time?

Ethylene oxide

Which of the following concepts has replaced the previous system of assessing storage conditions and package integrity based on an arbitrary expiration designation? - Double wrapping - Julian dating - Time related - Event related

Event related

T or F: Gravity displacement steam sterilizer cycles are much shorter than prevacuum cycles.

False

T or F: The relative humidity in an ethylene oxide sterilizer should be below 30% to aid in the penetration of the gas through bacterial spores protective coating.

False

Long, thin structure attaches to the outside of a cell; motility achieved by whipping motion

Flagella

When nested basin sets are being sterilized, how should they be placed in the steam sterilizer?

Fold side down with a towel used to separate them

What is the term for inanimate objects that harbor microorganisms that contribute to environmental contamination?

Fomites

Sterilely attired surgical team members should pass one another in any of the following ways EXCEPT: - Front to back - Back to back - Rotating 360 degrees around - Front to front

Front to Back

The biological indicator (BI) for the steam sterilization method is:

Geobacillus stearothemophiles

Cidex is the trade name for which of the following methods of sterilization? - Ethylene oxide - Glutaraldehyde -Hydrogen peroxide gas plasma - Peracetic acid

Glutaraldehyde

Which of the following chemicals is a high-level disinfectant when items are immersed for 20 to 30 minutes and a sterilant if items remain immersed for 10 hours?

Glutaraldehyde

Aerobic, gram-negative bacilli responsible for many gastric ulcers

Helicobacter pylori

Classification of parasites such as cysticerci (pork tapeworm) that can create lesion in the brain and soft tissues, which require surgical removal

Helminths

Which of the following is NOT a classification of patient care items? - Critical - Hypercritical - Noncritical - Semicritial

Hypercritical

What term refers to a barrier, such as plastic-backed table cover, that does NOT allow for passage of liquid through it?

Impervious

Which of the following should NEVER be processed by immediate-use (flash) sterilization methods? - Titanium microinstrumentation - Stainless steel suction tips - Implantable devices - Hydrogen peroxide gas plasma

Implantable devices

What is the relationship of steam pressure to temperature in steam sterilizer?

Increase pressure, Increase temperature

Before opening any sterilely packaged item, what is MOST important to verify about the package?

Integrity of package

Which method of sterilization uses gamma rays or beta particles and is chiefly used by large manufacturing companies?

Ionizing radiation

Why are large steam sterilizers loaded with space between wrapped items or trays?

It allows adequate circulation and penetration of steam to all surfaces

What is the advantage of using ethylene oxide gas sterilization?

It is safe for heat and moisture- sensitive items

What is the name of the outside area if an autoclave where steam is created before injection into the interior compartment?

Jacket

Which of the following is the type of dating system that denotes the number of the calendar day in 1 through 365/366?

Julian

During manual cleaning of surgical instruments, what type of solution should be used?

Lukewarm water, detergent, and enzymatic cleaner with neutral pH

What is the term for the process of lubricating stiffened stainless steel surgical instruments by immersion in a water-soluble solution?

Milking

Why are items disinfected or sterilized in activated glutaraldehyde dried prior to submersion?

Moisture will eventually dilute the concentration to ineffective levels

Why are instruments placed in perforated or mesh-bottom trays for sterilization?

Penetration of sterilant

All of the following are environmental specifications for the decontamination room in CSPD EXCEPT: - Humidity between 35 -72% - Air exchange rate, minimum of 10 per hour - Positive air pressure maintained - Temperature between 64 -70 degrees F

Positive air pressure maintained

Which type of surgical instrumentation must NEVER be immersed in any type of mechanical decontaminating equipment?

Powered

The Bowie-Dick test is performed for which sterilization method?

Prevacuum air removal steam

Nonliving proteinaceous infectious particle; contains DNA or RNA; responsible for transmissible spongiform encaphalopathy

Prions

Type of organisms whose organelles are not membrane bound; divide by binary fission; includes bacteria

Prokaryotes

Personnel in CSPD who must move instruments from the ethylene oxide sterilizer to an aeration room should do which of the following with the cart to reduce their exposure to vented gases?

Pull it

Which of the following patient care items would be classified as noncritical?

Pulse oximeteres

Which type of packaging system had filters and removable locking devices?

Rigid containers

Which sterilization method is most commonly used, safest, least expensive, and appropriate for the majority of surgical instruments?

Saturated steam

Bacterial species that can survive in environmental extremes and whose generic material is enclosed within a protein capsule until conditions are favorable for reproduction

Spores

Organism most commonly associated with surgical site infections

Staphylococcus aureus

Which of the following would be appropriate for soaking instruments covered with bioburden during a surgical procedure? - Peracetic acid - Sterile saline - Sterile water - Isopropyl alcohol

Sterile water

The physical or chemical process by which all living microorganisms, including spores, are killed is:

Sterilization

Which of the following is the MOST important factor in a surgical technologist's role in preventing surgical site infections? - High GPA while a student - Extensive knowledge of anatomy - Strict surgical conscience - Participation in the "time-out"

Strict surgical conscience

Contamination caused by passage of microorganisms through a sterilized package by way of moisture wicking is termed:

Strike-through

Which type of instruments must be cleaned with bristle-brushes on wire, pipe cleaners, or handheld pressure guns?

Suction tip lumens

What is the term for the condition of a surgical technologist's skin after performing a surgical scrub?

Surgically clean

When a sterilely attired surgical technologist drapes an unsterile table, he or she opens the drape:

Toward him- or herself first

Which of the following diseases is NOT a form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy? - Toxic shock - Scrapie - Mad cow - Creutzfeldt-Jakob

Toxic shock

T or F: In steam sterilization, thermal destruction of microbes is the result of the denaturation and coagulation of protein within the cells.

True

T or F: Sterilization process monitors should include mechanical, chemical, and biological methods to ensure all parameters were met.

True

T or F: internal chemical indicator/ integrators should be placed in the center or most challenging portion of the tray for the sterilant to reach.

True

What is the term used to describe the process of removing all soiled linen, waste, and instruments from the room and cleaning the furniture, floors, or other contaminated surfaces in preparation for opening new supplies for a subsequent case?

Turnover

Which type of wrapper material is compatible with the hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilization method?

Tyvek

Which of the following cleaning methods for surgical instrumentation relies on bubbles imploding, creating a vacuum that dislodges minute particles in crevices of instruments? - Manual soak - Washer sterilizer - Washer decontaminator - Ultrasonic cleaner

Ultrasonic cleaner

Nonliving obligate intracellular parasites; contain either DNA or RNA, but not both

Viruses

Which part of the instrument reprocessing cycle is performed intraoperatively?

Wiping with sterile water

Fungal infection caused by bread mold; sometimes seen in immune-suppressed organ transplant patients

Zygomycosis