AORN PERIOP 101 NEWEST 2026-2027 ACTUAL EXAM CONTAINS 160
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES
ALREADY GRADED A+
Using mechanical friction when prepping will NOT aid in
A. Removal of resident bacteria
B. Removal of dirt and oil
C. The effectiveness of antimicrobials
D. Removal of transient bacteria - answer-A. Removal of resident bacteria
Sharps injuries in the OR are especially hazardous because surgical procedures often involve substantial
amounts of blood and other possibly infectious body fluids. The most common cause of sharps injuries
in the OR is , followed by :
A. Scalpels, bone cutters
B. Scalpels, syringes
C. Sharp suture needles, scalpels
D. Hypodermic syringes, sharp suture needles - answer-C. Sharp suture needles, scalpels
All of the following are examples of hazard elimination for sharps safety EXCEPT:
A. Using electrosurgery instead of a scalpel when making a surgical incision
B. Requiring at-risk health care workers to participate in annual trainings on sharps safety
C. Ensuring that the facility only uses needleless IV systems
D. Eliminating the use of injectable needles when feasible and clinically appropriate - answer-B.
Requiring at-risk health care workers to participate in annual trainings on sharps safety
Examples of appropriate administrative controls to prevent sharps injuries include all of the following
EXCEPT:
A. Developing and updating sharps policies and procedures
B. Incorporating sharps safety prevention into a new or existing committee structure
C. Allowing only doctors to handle sharps
,D. Educating and training employees on the proper handling and disposal of sharps and safety
engineered devices - answer-C. Allowing only doctors to handle sharps
All are UNSAFE practices in the OR EXCEPT which of the following?
A. Passing sharps hand-to-hand between team members during orthopedic surgery
B. Waiting until after surgery to say something if you observe unsafe sharps handling
C. Carefully recapping contaminated needles using a scooping technique
D. Disposing of sharps in an unlabeled bag - answer-C. Carefully recapping contaminated needles using a
scooping technique
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate work practice control to prevent sharps injuries in the OR?
A. Use of a neutral or safe zone when passing sharps between team members
B. Grasping and manipulating needles and scalpel blades with instruments or suture packs instead of
fingers
C. Wearing a colored pair of gloves outside a standard pair during surgery
D. During microscopic surgeries, placing the sharp in the surgeon's hand and having the surgeon place
the sharp in the designated neutral zone to return it to the scrub person
E. Grasping a needle with a blunt instrument when suturing - answer-C. Wearing a colored pair of gloves
outside a standard pair during surgery
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate response to a sharps injury in the workplace?
A. Immediately wash the area with soap and water and seek medical treatment
B. Report the injury to your supervisor as soon as possible
C. Report the injury to your supervisor only if the wound becomes infected
D. Discuss with your supervisor the risk of infection based on the infection status of the patient and the
presence of blood and other body fluids at time of injury - answer-C. Report the injury to your
supervisor only if the wound becomes infected
Choose the FALSE statement about introducing safety engineered sharps devices in health care settings?
A. Sharps products under consideration should primarily be evaluated by administrators who can
compare them to benchmarking standards
,B. Sharps products under consideration by a facility should be evaluated by front-line users trained
in correct use of the device
C. Final product selections should be based on results of a one-page tester survey tool that is easy
to complete and score and includes room for comments
D. Safety engineered devices must be evaluated every year - answer-A. Sharps products under
consideration should primarily be evaluated by administrators who can compare them to benchmarking
standards
Bloodborne pathogen exposure control plans must conform to all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Be written and must follow federal, state, and local rules and regulations
B. Establish and define work restrictions for health care workers who have transmissible bloodborne
infections
C. Specify processes for education, training, competency evaluation, evaluation of the efficacy and utility
of sharps safety devices, and annual review of sharps safety issues
D. Be posted in every room in which sharps are handled - answer-D. Be posted in every room in which
sharps are handled
Double gloving is an example of using PPE to reduce the risk of sharps injuries. Based on available
evidence about its effectiveness, double gloving should be practiced:
A. When the surgeon gives consent to do so
B. During all surgical procedures
C. When there is a written policy requiring the use of double gloves during surgery
D. When the surgical patient is known to have a bloodborne pathogen infection - answer-B. During all
surgical procedures
Engineering controls help prevent sharps injuries. Which statement about safety engineered devices is
FALSE?
A. Safety engineered devices include blunt-tip needles, single-use scalpels, retractable scalpels, and
needles with sliding sheaths or needle guards
B. Studies have not yet shown that safety engineered devices significantly reduce needlestick
injuries, but they should be used anyway as a precaution
C. Safety engineered devices should be used during surgery unless their use could negatively affect
patient safety
, D. Blunt-tip needles are safety engineered devices designed to penetrate muscle and fascia, but
not skin - answer-B. Studies have not yet shown that safety engineered devices significantly reduce
needlestick injuries, but they should be used anyway as a precaution
Which statement about neutral zones is FALSE?
A. A kidney basin is appropriate for a neutral zone
B. The neutral zone should be designated during preoperative briefing
C. When moving a sharp to the neutral zone, give verbal notice such as saying "sharp"
D. Only one sharp and one hand at a time should be in the neutral zone
E. The sharp should be positioned for easy retrieval by the surgeon - answer-A. A kidney basin is
appropriate for a neutral zone
If a needle must be-recapped, the proper technique to use is:
A. Hold the cap with your fingers sideways and slide the needle into the cap with your other hand
B. With the cap on a stable, flat surface, guide the needle into the cap while holding only the syringe
attached to the needle, then tip up the syringe so the cap sits on the needle hub and secure the cap in
place
C. Hold the syringe vertically while sliding the cap over the needle
D. Use both hands to center and push the cap onto the needle - answer-B. With the cap on a stable, flat
surface, guide the needle into the cap while holding only the syringe attached to the needle, then tip
up the syringe so the cap sits on the needle hub and secure the cap in place
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate way to prevent sharps injuries in the OR?
A. Communicating the location of sharps on the sterile field during personnel changes
B. Removing suture needle from suture before tying
C. Using double-gloved hands to retract tissue
D. Cutting the exposed ends of sharp pins or Kwires, or covering them with a protective cap after they
have passed through a patient's skin - answer-C. Using double-gloved hands to retract tissue
Needleless systems should be used when:
A. Withdrawing fluids from multi-use vials
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES
ALREADY GRADED A+
Using mechanical friction when prepping will NOT aid in
A. Removal of resident bacteria
B. Removal of dirt and oil
C. The effectiveness of antimicrobials
D. Removal of transient bacteria - answer-A. Removal of resident bacteria
Sharps injuries in the OR are especially hazardous because surgical procedures often involve substantial
amounts of blood and other possibly infectious body fluids. The most common cause of sharps injuries
in the OR is , followed by :
A. Scalpels, bone cutters
B. Scalpels, syringes
C. Sharp suture needles, scalpels
D. Hypodermic syringes, sharp suture needles - answer-C. Sharp suture needles, scalpels
All of the following are examples of hazard elimination for sharps safety EXCEPT:
A. Using electrosurgery instead of a scalpel when making a surgical incision
B. Requiring at-risk health care workers to participate in annual trainings on sharps safety
C. Ensuring that the facility only uses needleless IV systems
D. Eliminating the use of injectable needles when feasible and clinically appropriate - answer-B.
Requiring at-risk health care workers to participate in annual trainings on sharps safety
Examples of appropriate administrative controls to prevent sharps injuries include all of the following
EXCEPT:
A. Developing and updating sharps policies and procedures
B. Incorporating sharps safety prevention into a new or existing committee structure
C. Allowing only doctors to handle sharps
,D. Educating and training employees on the proper handling and disposal of sharps and safety
engineered devices - answer-C. Allowing only doctors to handle sharps
All are UNSAFE practices in the OR EXCEPT which of the following?
A. Passing sharps hand-to-hand between team members during orthopedic surgery
B. Waiting until after surgery to say something if you observe unsafe sharps handling
C. Carefully recapping contaminated needles using a scooping technique
D. Disposing of sharps in an unlabeled bag - answer-C. Carefully recapping contaminated needles using a
scooping technique
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate work practice control to prevent sharps injuries in the OR?
A. Use of a neutral or safe zone when passing sharps between team members
B. Grasping and manipulating needles and scalpel blades with instruments or suture packs instead of
fingers
C. Wearing a colored pair of gloves outside a standard pair during surgery
D. During microscopic surgeries, placing the sharp in the surgeon's hand and having the surgeon place
the sharp in the designated neutral zone to return it to the scrub person
E. Grasping a needle with a blunt instrument when suturing - answer-C. Wearing a colored pair of gloves
outside a standard pair during surgery
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate response to a sharps injury in the workplace?
A. Immediately wash the area with soap and water and seek medical treatment
B. Report the injury to your supervisor as soon as possible
C. Report the injury to your supervisor only if the wound becomes infected
D. Discuss with your supervisor the risk of infection based on the infection status of the patient and the
presence of blood and other body fluids at time of injury - answer-C. Report the injury to your
supervisor only if the wound becomes infected
Choose the FALSE statement about introducing safety engineered sharps devices in health care settings?
A. Sharps products under consideration should primarily be evaluated by administrators who can
compare them to benchmarking standards
,B. Sharps products under consideration by a facility should be evaluated by front-line users trained
in correct use of the device
C. Final product selections should be based on results of a one-page tester survey tool that is easy
to complete and score and includes room for comments
D. Safety engineered devices must be evaluated every year - answer-A. Sharps products under
consideration should primarily be evaluated by administrators who can compare them to benchmarking
standards
Bloodborne pathogen exposure control plans must conform to all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Be written and must follow federal, state, and local rules and regulations
B. Establish and define work restrictions for health care workers who have transmissible bloodborne
infections
C. Specify processes for education, training, competency evaluation, evaluation of the efficacy and utility
of sharps safety devices, and annual review of sharps safety issues
D. Be posted in every room in which sharps are handled - answer-D. Be posted in every room in which
sharps are handled
Double gloving is an example of using PPE to reduce the risk of sharps injuries. Based on available
evidence about its effectiveness, double gloving should be practiced:
A. When the surgeon gives consent to do so
B. During all surgical procedures
C. When there is a written policy requiring the use of double gloves during surgery
D. When the surgical patient is known to have a bloodborne pathogen infection - answer-B. During all
surgical procedures
Engineering controls help prevent sharps injuries. Which statement about safety engineered devices is
FALSE?
A. Safety engineered devices include blunt-tip needles, single-use scalpels, retractable scalpels, and
needles with sliding sheaths or needle guards
B. Studies have not yet shown that safety engineered devices significantly reduce needlestick
injuries, but they should be used anyway as a precaution
C. Safety engineered devices should be used during surgery unless their use could negatively affect
patient safety
, D. Blunt-tip needles are safety engineered devices designed to penetrate muscle and fascia, but
not skin - answer-B. Studies have not yet shown that safety engineered devices significantly reduce
needlestick injuries, but they should be used anyway as a precaution
Which statement about neutral zones is FALSE?
A. A kidney basin is appropriate for a neutral zone
B. The neutral zone should be designated during preoperative briefing
C. When moving a sharp to the neutral zone, give verbal notice such as saying "sharp"
D. Only one sharp and one hand at a time should be in the neutral zone
E. The sharp should be positioned for easy retrieval by the surgeon - answer-A. A kidney basin is
appropriate for a neutral zone
If a needle must be-recapped, the proper technique to use is:
A. Hold the cap with your fingers sideways and slide the needle into the cap with your other hand
B. With the cap on a stable, flat surface, guide the needle into the cap while holding only the syringe
attached to the needle, then tip up the syringe so the cap sits on the needle hub and secure the cap in
place
C. Hold the syringe vertically while sliding the cap over the needle
D. Use both hands to center and push the cap onto the needle - answer-B. With the cap on a stable, flat
surface, guide the needle into the cap while holding only the syringe attached to the needle, then tip
up the syringe so the cap sits on the needle hub and secure the cap in place
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate way to prevent sharps injuries in the OR?
A. Communicating the location of sharps on the sterile field during personnel changes
B. Removing suture needle from suture before tying
C. Using double-gloved hands to retract tissue
D. Cutting the exposed ends of sharp pins or Kwires, or covering them with a protective cap after they
have passed through a patient's skin - answer-C. Using double-gloved hands to retract tissue
Needleless systems should be used when:
A. Withdrawing fluids from multi-use vials
