IAHCSMM CRCST Exam Newest Actual Exam With Complete Questions And
Correct Detailed Answers (Verified Answers) |Already Graded A+
Question 1
Which of the following best describes an "official inventory" in a healthcare facility?
A) Supplies kept in the surgery department for immediate use.
B) Items stored in the emergency room for trauma cases.
C) Supplies that can be counted as an asset on the facility's balance sheet.
D) Disposable items that have already been opened.
E) Only instruments that are currently being processed in Central Service.
Correct Answer: C) supplies that can be counted as an asset on the facility's balance sheet
Rationale: In financial and supply chain management within a hospital, official inventory
refers to those items that are owned by the facility and held in a central store or warehouse.
Because these items have not yet been "expensed" to a specific department, they are
considered a tangible asset. Until they are issued to a user department, they represent
monetary value sitting on the shelf, which is why tracking and accuracy are vital for the
facility's financial health.
Question 2
Which inventory system is characterized by stocking supplies according to established minimum
and maximum levels?
A) Just-in-Time (JIT)
B) Par-level system
C) Exchange cart system
D) Consignment system
E) Demand-driven system
Correct Answer: B) Par-level system
Rationale: A par-level system is a predetermined standard for the quantity of a specific item
that should be on hand at any given time. Technicians check the current stock against the
"par" (standard level) and replenish only the amount needed to reach that level. This
prevents overstocking and ensures that the department has enough supplies to meet patient
care needs without excessive waste or holding costs.
, 2
Question 3
In which of the following inventory systems does a vendor own the items, but stores them at the
healthcare facility until they are used?
A) Official inventory
B) Just-in-Time (JIT)
C) Consignment
D) Stockless system
E) Direct purchase
Correct Answer: C) consignment
Rationale: Consignment inventory is a strategic partnership where the supplier (vendor)
places high-value items, such as orthopedic implants or specialized catheters, in the
hospital's storage areas. The hospital does not pay for the item until it is actually pulled for
use in a procedure. This benefits the hospital by reducing the amount of capital tied up in
expensive inventory and benefits the vendor by ensuring their product is immediately
available for the surgeon.
Question 4
If a piece of medical equipment malfunctions and causes actual harm to a patient, what is the
immediate required action for the Central Service technician?
A) Throw the item in the trash immediately to prevent further use.
B) Clean the item thoroughly before anyone else sees it.
C) Return the item immediately to the biomedical department with all accessories and labels
intact.
D) Adjust the machine settings to see if it can be fixed on-site.
E) Send the item back to the manufacturer without notifying anyone.
Correct Answer: C) returned immediately to the biomedical department
Rationale: When a medical device causes patient injury, it is considered a "reportable
event" under federal law. The technician must remove the device from service immediately,
ensuring that all tubing, disposables, and settings used during the incident are preserved.
The Biomedical Engineering department must inspect the device to determine the cause of
, 3
the failure. Cleaning the device or discarding the disposables might destroy evidence
needed for the investigation or for reporting to the FDA.
Question 5
Which federal mandate requires healthcare facilities to report medical device malfunctions that
contribute to patient injury or death to the manufacturer and the FDA?
A) OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
B) The Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA)
C) HIPAA Privacy Rule
D) The Clean Air Act
E) The Controlled Substances Act
Correct Answer: B) The Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA)
Rationale: Passed in 1990, the Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA) requires user facilities
(hospitals, clinics, nursing homes) to report incidents that reasonably suggest a medical
device has caused or contributed to the death, serious injury, or serious illness of a patient.
This law ensures that the FDA can track "patterns" of equipment failure across the
country and issue recalls if a design flaw is found, ultimately protecting public health.
Question 6
Which of the following is NOT a primary reason for tracking supplies, equipment, and
instruments?
A) Ensuring items are available when needed.
B) Controlling financial costs associated with lost items.
C) Meeting CDC and OSHA regulatory requirements.
D) Facilitating the recall process for specific items.
E) Monitoring the usage life and maintenance schedules of instruments.
Correct Answer: C) meet CDC and OSHA requirements
Rationale: While tracking is essential for efficiency, cost control (Option B), patient
safety/recalls (Option D), and inventory management (Option A), it is not a specific
regulatory requirement of the CDC or OSHA to track every individual supply. CDC
provides guidelines for clinical care, and OSHA focuses on employee safety. Tracking is an
, 4
operational best practice driven by the facility's need for productivity and the FDA's
requirements for device traceability.
Question 7
Which of the following tracking methods provides the most accurate "real-time" information
regarding the location of equipment?
A) Manual logbooks
B) Standard barcoding
C) Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags
D) Periodic physical inventory counts
E) Color-coded tape systems
Correct Answer: C) radio frequency identification tags (RFID)
Rationale: RFID technology uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track
tags attached to objects. Unlike barcodes, which must be manually scanned line-of-sight,
RFID tags can be read from a distance and through materials. This allows a Central
Service department to know exactly which floor or room a piece of equipment is in at any
given moment, significantly reducing the time spent searching for "lost" assets.
Question 8
What is the primary goal of "Point-of-Use" computing in the Central Service department?
A) To allow technicians to check personal emails while working.
B) To move computer access into the actual work areas to ensure data is recorded as it happens.
C) To reduce the amount of electricity used by the department.
D) To eliminate the need for a Central Service manager.
E) To allow surgeons to order instruments from the operating room.
Correct Answer: B) moves computers into central service department work areas
Rationale: Point-of-use computing ensures that data entry (such as scanning an instrument
tray after it is sterilized) happens at the time and location of the task. This minimizes errors
associated with delayed data entry and ensures that the tracking system is always updated
with the most current information, which is critical for the Operating Room staff who need
to know if a tray is ready.
Correct Detailed Answers (Verified Answers) |Already Graded A+
Question 1
Which of the following best describes an "official inventory" in a healthcare facility?
A) Supplies kept in the surgery department for immediate use.
B) Items stored in the emergency room for trauma cases.
C) Supplies that can be counted as an asset on the facility's balance sheet.
D) Disposable items that have already been opened.
E) Only instruments that are currently being processed in Central Service.
Correct Answer: C) supplies that can be counted as an asset on the facility's balance sheet
Rationale: In financial and supply chain management within a hospital, official inventory
refers to those items that are owned by the facility and held in a central store or warehouse.
Because these items have not yet been "expensed" to a specific department, they are
considered a tangible asset. Until they are issued to a user department, they represent
monetary value sitting on the shelf, which is why tracking and accuracy are vital for the
facility's financial health.
Question 2
Which inventory system is characterized by stocking supplies according to established minimum
and maximum levels?
A) Just-in-Time (JIT)
B) Par-level system
C) Exchange cart system
D) Consignment system
E) Demand-driven system
Correct Answer: B) Par-level system
Rationale: A par-level system is a predetermined standard for the quantity of a specific item
that should be on hand at any given time. Technicians check the current stock against the
"par" (standard level) and replenish only the amount needed to reach that level. This
prevents overstocking and ensures that the department has enough supplies to meet patient
care needs without excessive waste or holding costs.
, 2
Question 3
In which of the following inventory systems does a vendor own the items, but stores them at the
healthcare facility until they are used?
A) Official inventory
B) Just-in-Time (JIT)
C) Consignment
D) Stockless system
E) Direct purchase
Correct Answer: C) consignment
Rationale: Consignment inventory is a strategic partnership where the supplier (vendor)
places high-value items, such as orthopedic implants or specialized catheters, in the
hospital's storage areas. The hospital does not pay for the item until it is actually pulled for
use in a procedure. This benefits the hospital by reducing the amount of capital tied up in
expensive inventory and benefits the vendor by ensuring their product is immediately
available for the surgeon.
Question 4
If a piece of medical equipment malfunctions and causes actual harm to a patient, what is the
immediate required action for the Central Service technician?
A) Throw the item in the trash immediately to prevent further use.
B) Clean the item thoroughly before anyone else sees it.
C) Return the item immediately to the biomedical department with all accessories and labels
intact.
D) Adjust the machine settings to see if it can be fixed on-site.
E) Send the item back to the manufacturer without notifying anyone.
Correct Answer: C) returned immediately to the biomedical department
Rationale: When a medical device causes patient injury, it is considered a "reportable
event" under federal law. The technician must remove the device from service immediately,
ensuring that all tubing, disposables, and settings used during the incident are preserved.
The Biomedical Engineering department must inspect the device to determine the cause of
, 3
the failure. Cleaning the device or discarding the disposables might destroy evidence
needed for the investigation or for reporting to the FDA.
Question 5
Which federal mandate requires healthcare facilities to report medical device malfunctions that
contribute to patient injury or death to the manufacturer and the FDA?
A) OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
B) The Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA)
C) HIPAA Privacy Rule
D) The Clean Air Act
E) The Controlled Substances Act
Correct Answer: B) The Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA)
Rationale: Passed in 1990, the Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA) requires user facilities
(hospitals, clinics, nursing homes) to report incidents that reasonably suggest a medical
device has caused or contributed to the death, serious injury, or serious illness of a patient.
This law ensures that the FDA can track "patterns" of equipment failure across the
country and issue recalls if a design flaw is found, ultimately protecting public health.
Question 6
Which of the following is NOT a primary reason for tracking supplies, equipment, and
instruments?
A) Ensuring items are available when needed.
B) Controlling financial costs associated with lost items.
C) Meeting CDC and OSHA regulatory requirements.
D) Facilitating the recall process for specific items.
E) Monitoring the usage life and maintenance schedules of instruments.
Correct Answer: C) meet CDC and OSHA requirements
Rationale: While tracking is essential for efficiency, cost control (Option B), patient
safety/recalls (Option D), and inventory management (Option A), it is not a specific
regulatory requirement of the CDC or OSHA to track every individual supply. CDC
provides guidelines for clinical care, and OSHA focuses on employee safety. Tracking is an
, 4
operational best practice driven by the facility's need for productivity and the FDA's
requirements for device traceability.
Question 7
Which of the following tracking methods provides the most accurate "real-time" information
regarding the location of equipment?
A) Manual logbooks
B) Standard barcoding
C) Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags
D) Periodic physical inventory counts
E) Color-coded tape systems
Correct Answer: C) radio frequency identification tags (RFID)
Rationale: RFID technology uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track
tags attached to objects. Unlike barcodes, which must be manually scanned line-of-sight,
RFID tags can be read from a distance and through materials. This allows a Central
Service department to know exactly which floor or room a piece of equipment is in at any
given moment, significantly reducing the time spent searching for "lost" assets.
Question 8
What is the primary goal of "Point-of-Use" computing in the Central Service department?
A) To allow technicians to check personal emails while working.
B) To move computer access into the actual work areas to ensure data is recorded as it happens.
C) To reduce the amount of electricity used by the department.
D) To eliminate the need for a Central Service manager.
E) To allow surgeons to order instruments from the operating room.
Correct Answer: B) moves computers into central service department work areas
Rationale: Point-of-use computing ensures that data entry (such as scanning an instrument
tray after it is sterilized) happens at the time and location of the task. This minimizes errors
associated with delayed data entry and ensures that the tracking system is always updated
with the most current information, which is critical for the Operating Room staff who need
to know if a tray is ready.
