NBSTSA CST CORRECT STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔While preparing a sterile field, a surgical technologist secures the Bovie holster to
the Mayo stand. The surgeon insists on keeping the Bovie by him toward the head of
the patient. What would be the best course of action? - ✔✔Move Bovie holster up by the
head of the patient
✔✔A surgeon is performing a procedure to repair damage from a gunshot wound to the
chest. Which type of drain should the surgical technologist have available at the end of
the procedure? - ✔✔Underwater
✔✔A liver laceration is identified during an emergency exploratory laparotomy. A
surgical technologist will prepare suture attached to which of the following type of
needles? - ✔✔Blunt
✔✔A Stamey needle is used for which type of surgery? - ✔✔Bladder suspension
✔✔What advantage do hand-held retractors have over self-retaining retractors? -
✔✔Dynamic adjustability
✔✔If unexpected heavy blood loss occurs during an abdominal procedure, a surgical
technologist should request additional: - ✔✔Lap sponges
✔✔What is most commonly used for wound closure in the presence of infection? -
✔✔Stainless steel
✔✔A surgeon asks for warm irrigation after a GI tract reastomosis. What best describes
the reason for irrigation at this point in the procedure? - ✔✔To aid visual inspection for
leakage
,✔✔In comparison to oral Fahrenheit temperatures, rectal Fahrenheit temperatures are -
✔✔Approximately 1 degree higher
✔✔What is the unexpected occurrence that involves physiologic or psychologic injury or
death? - ✔✔Sentinel event
✔✔Following a surgical procedure, what is the best sequence of actions for a surgical
technologist to take? - ✔✔Remove sterile drapes, remove gown and gloves, and don a
pair of unsterile gloves to aid in the care of the postoperative patient
✔✔To prevent contamination at the end of a surgical procedure, what should be
removed last by the surgical technologist in the scrub role? - ✔✔Surgical drapes/gloves
✔✔An RN has just asked a surgical technologist to complete a task that is within the
surgical technologist's scope of practice, but the surgical technologist does not feel
comfortable completing the task independently. What is the surgical technologist's best
course of action? - ✔✔Request that the RN provides the appropriate level of
supervision during the task to ensure safety
✔✔What is necessary for ethylene oxide sterilization to occur? - ✔✔Humidity
✔✔The destruction of organisms in an autoclave is accomplished by the: -
✔✔Coagulation of cell protein
✔✔Ratcheted instruments should be: - ✔✔Opened for washing and sterilizing
✔✔An effective packaging material used for a Balfour to be steam sterilized: -
✔✔Permits penetration by the sterilant
✔✔While removing peel pack instruments from the sterilizer, a surgical technologist
notices several of the packages have ruptured. What would most likely be the cause of
this? - ✔✔The air was not evacuated from the pouch
✔✔Which layer is transected when a subcostal flank incision is used from a
nephrectomy? - ✔✔Oblique muscles
✔✔In order to remove a portion of the kidney, the surgeon must enter what? -
✔✔Gerota's fascia
✔✔What lies between the lung and the chest wall? - ✔✔pleura
✔✔Where is the gastrocnemius muscle located? - ✔✔Calf
, ✔✔What is the most serious complication of a strangulated hernia? - ✔✔Necrosis
✔✔During a herniaorraphy, the abdominal area that is bound by the rectus abdominis
muscle, the inguinal ligament, and the inferior epigastric vessels is the: - ✔✔Hesselbach
triangle
✔✔Scoliosis is most commonly found in which curve of the vertebral column? -
✔✔Thoracic
✔✔When performing a Shirodkar procedure, where is the attention being focused? -
✔✔Cervix
✔✔A patient entering the operating room for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy looks
jaundiced. What is the best explanation for this? - ✔✔Biliary obstruction
✔✔Which surgical procedure may be used to remove a carcinoma from the head of the
pancreas? - ✔✔Whipple
✔✔A scleral buckle procedure repairs: - ✔✔Detached retinas
✔✔Which procedure treats a congenital obstructed lesion found at the distal end of an
infant's stomach? - ✔✔Pyloromyotomy
✔✔What is the surgical correction of a Colles' fracture? - ✔✔The distal radius is
fractured and the periosteum will be closed with absorbable sutures
✔✔What surgery is a Meckel's diverticulum typically discovered? - ✔✔Appendectomy
✔✔Which structure is behind and below the base of the penis? - ✔✔Scrotum
✔✔When performing a right hemicolectomy, the surgeon will most likely remove
portions of what? - ✔✔Ascending and transverse colon
✔✔What destroys bacterial spores? - ✔✔Sterilant
✔✔A patient who is HIV-positive is having an abdominal procedure. Another patient
who is HIV-negative is having an orthopedic procedure. During and subsequent to the
cases, the surgical technologist should take: - ✔✔Standard precautions for both
patients
✔✔Which wound class is assigned to a bowel case in which the resident perforated
during the procedure? - ✔✔III
AND ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔While preparing a sterile field, a surgical technologist secures the Bovie holster to
the Mayo stand. The surgeon insists on keeping the Bovie by him toward the head of
the patient. What would be the best course of action? - ✔✔Move Bovie holster up by the
head of the patient
✔✔A surgeon is performing a procedure to repair damage from a gunshot wound to the
chest. Which type of drain should the surgical technologist have available at the end of
the procedure? - ✔✔Underwater
✔✔A liver laceration is identified during an emergency exploratory laparotomy. A
surgical technologist will prepare suture attached to which of the following type of
needles? - ✔✔Blunt
✔✔A Stamey needle is used for which type of surgery? - ✔✔Bladder suspension
✔✔What advantage do hand-held retractors have over self-retaining retractors? -
✔✔Dynamic adjustability
✔✔If unexpected heavy blood loss occurs during an abdominal procedure, a surgical
technologist should request additional: - ✔✔Lap sponges
✔✔What is most commonly used for wound closure in the presence of infection? -
✔✔Stainless steel
✔✔A surgeon asks for warm irrigation after a GI tract reastomosis. What best describes
the reason for irrigation at this point in the procedure? - ✔✔To aid visual inspection for
leakage
,✔✔In comparison to oral Fahrenheit temperatures, rectal Fahrenheit temperatures are -
✔✔Approximately 1 degree higher
✔✔What is the unexpected occurrence that involves physiologic or psychologic injury or
death? - ✔✔Sentinel event
✔✔Following a surgical procedure, what is the best sequence of actions for a surgical
technologist to take? - ✔✔Remove sterile drapes, remove gown and gloves, and don a
pair of unsterile gloves to aid in the care of the postoperative patient
✔✔To prevent contamination at the end of a surgical procedure, what should be
removed last by the surgical technologist in the scrub role? - ✔✔Surgical drapes/gloves
✔✔An RN has just asked a surgical technologist to complete a task that is within the
surgical technologist's scope of practice, but the surgical technologist does not feel
comfortable completing the task independently. What is the surgical technologist's best
course of action? - ✔✔Request that the RN provides the appropriate level of
supervision during the task to ensure safety
✔✔What is necessary for ethylene oxide sterilization to occur? - ✔✔Humidity
✔✔The destruction of organisms in an autoclave is accomplished by the: -
✔✔Coagulation of cell protein
✔✔Ratcheted instruments should be: - ✔✔Opened for washing and sterilizing
✔✔An effective packaging material used for a Balfour to be steam sterilized: -
✔✔Permits penetration by the sterilant
✔✔While removing peel pack instruments from the sterilizer, a surgical technologist
notices several of the packages have ruptured. What would most likely be the cause of
this? - ✔✔The air was not evacuated from the pouch
✔✔Which layer is transected when a subcostal flank incision is used from a
nephrectomy? - ✔✔Oblique muscles
✔✔In order to remove a portion of the kidney, the surgeon must enter what? -
✔✔Gerota's fascia
✔✔What lies between the lung and the chest wall? - ✔✔pleura
✔✔Where is the gastrocnemius muscle located? - ✔✔Calf
, ✔✔What is the most serious complication of a strangulated hernia? - ✔✔Necrosis
✔✔During a herniaorraphy, the abdominal area that is bound by the rectus abdominis
muscle, the inguinal ligament, and the inferior epigastric vessels is the: - ✔✔Hesselbach
triangle
✔✔Scoliosis is most commonly found in which curve of the vertebral column? -
✔✔Thoracic
✔✔When performing a Shirodkar procedure, where is the attention being focused? -
✔✔Cervix
✔✔A patient entering the operating room for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy looks
jaundiced. What is the best explanation for this? - ✔✔Biliary obstruction
✔✔Which surgical procedure may be used to remove a carcinoma from the head of the
pancreas? - ✔✔Whipple
✔✔A scleral buckle procedure repairs: - ✔✔Detached retinas
✔✔Which procedure treats a congenital obstructed lesion found at the distal end of an
infant's stomach? - ✔✔Pyloromyotomy
✔✔What is the surgical correction of a Colles' fracture? - ✔✔The distal radius is
fractured and the periosteum will be closed with absorbable sutures
✔✔What surgery is a Meckel's diverticulum typically discovered? - ✔✔Appendectomy
✔✔Which structure is behind and below the base of the penis? - ✔✔Scrotum
✔✔When performing a right hemicolectomy, the surgeon will most likely remove
portions of what? - ✔✔Ascending and transverse colon
✔✔What destroys bacterial spores? - ✔✔Sterilant
✔✔A patient who is HIV-positive is having an abdominal procedure. Another patient
who is HIV-negative is having an orthopedic procedure. During and subsequent to the
cases, the surgical technologist should take: - ✔✔Standard precautions for both
patients
✔✔Which wound class is assigned to a bowel case in which the resident perforated
during the procedure? - ✔✔III
