SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY: PRINCIPLES AND
PRACTICE, 8TH EDITION MOCK CERTIFICATION
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS &
RATIONALES
1. A client is having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. Which of the following
structures are the tendons of the rotator cuff attached to?
a. Ulna
b. Symphysis
c. Humerus
d. Clavicle
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> The tendons of the rotator cuff are attached to the humerus with
sutures oranchor suturing devices.
2. “Any unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological
injury or the risk there of”
a. Perjury
b. Sentinel event
c. Incident
d. Practice act
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> A sentinel event is “Any unexpected occurrence involving death or
seriousphysical or psychological injury or the risk there of” to the client.
3. Who is authorized to sign the informed surgical consent for a client who is not
mentally competent or is incapacitated??
a. Client
b. Anesthesiologist
c. Agency representative
d. Client’s friend
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> If a client is mentally incompetent or incapacitated a responsible
guardian, agency representative or court representative may sign the informed consent.
4. Which stage of grief is a client in when he or she begins to state: “Just let me live to
see my daughter finish school?”
a. Bargaining
b. Depression
c. Denial
,d. Anger
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> Kubler Ross describes this stage as a way of postponing death. Any
client who makes these types of statements is bargaining because he or she is unable to
face reality and has gone through the stage of being angry and now wants to postpone
the inevitable.
5. A 10-year-old client is scheduled for surgery in an operating room (OR) with a low
temperature. What can be done to keep this client from becoming hypothermic?
a. Keep the OR temperature low.
b. Warm the client before he or she enters the OR.
c. Use an overhead radiant heater.
d. Warm the OR prior to the client’s arrival.
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> D
Explanation:->> Warming/raising the temperature in the OR would be critical to
maintainingproper body temperature.
6. The first priority in treating a trauma client is .
a. placing an IV catheter
b. opening the airway
c. placing a chest tube
d. controlling blood loss
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> As with all trauma clients, the first priority is to open the airway and
makesure that it is maintained.
7. A pregnant client has been diagnosed as having appendicitis and needs surgery.
When should the surgery be performed?
a. Third trimester
b. Second trimester
c. Immediately
d. After delivery
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> Emergent operative procedures such as appendicitis should be
performed immediately.
8. How should the surgical technologist (ST) handle a bullet that has been removed from
a surgical client?
,a. With sterile gauze
b. With a clamp
c. Throw into the kick bucket
d. Throw away into sharps container
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> Bullets should be carefully handled; they should be placed on a clean
gauze and passed off the sterile field. The surgical technologist should avoid any contact
of thebullet with any other metal, as metal could scratch the bullet, and obscure
evidential marks.
9. To keep airborne contamination in the OR to a minimum, how many maximum
air changes should take place?
a. 40 per hour
b. 20 per hour
c. 10 per hour
d. 30 per hour
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> The CDC recommends that ORs be ventilated with at least a
minimum of 15and a maximum of 20 air changes per hour.
10. When using a laser, which precaution is best to use?
a. Have sterile saline available
b. Have a fire team available
c. Place dry towels around the operative site
d. Place wet towels around the operative site
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> D
Explanation:->> Wet towels are placed around the operative site to prevent burns in
the areafrom the laser beam.
11. Escherichia coli resides on humans in the lumen of the .
a. intestines
b. esophagus
c. ureters
d. urethra
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> E. coli are resident bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract.
12. The most commonly transmitted pathogen in the OR is .
, a. Candida albicans
b. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
c. Staphylococcus aureus
d. Pseudomonas aeruginosa
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> S. aureus normally resides on healthy skin, but when transmitted to the
surgical wound by direct or indirect contact can cause infection. S. aureus is the most
wide spread cause of surgical site infections. 70% of people are skin carriers of S. aureus
13. A client has just been found to have a postsurgical infection. Which source is most
likely the primary means of infecting this client?
a. Contamination during the case
b. SSI from the client’s own skin
c. The client is a cigarette smoker
d. The surgical team did not wear a hair cover
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> The primary source for SSI is from the client’s own skin.
14. The ST has just passed a new #10 blade to the surgeon to make the first incision on
the skin. The surgeon has requested a #10 blade again. What should the ST do?
a. Pass the same #10 blade.
b. Change the blade to a new blade and pass.
c. Give the surgeon a new #15 blade.
d. Tell the surgeon that you are unsure of what to do.
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> Instruments that come into contact with the skin of the client should
not bereused.
15. When an ST must move to the head of the OR table to retrieve a sponge, he or she
must move:
a. back to back.
b. front to back.
c. side to back.
d. not at all.
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> The ST should always pass other surgical team members in the sterile
field byfacing one another or by passing back to back.
PRACTICE, 8TH EDITION MOCK CERTIFICATION
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS &
RATIONALES
1. A client is having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. Which of the following
structures are the tendons of the rotator cuff attached to?
a. Ulna
b. Symphysis
c. Humerus
d. Clavicle
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> The tendons of the rotator cuff are attached to the humerus with
sutures oranchor suturing devices.
2. “Any unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological
injury or the risk there of”
a. Perjury
b. Sentinel event
c. Incident
d. Practice act
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> A sentinel event is “Any unexpected occurrence involving death or
seriousphysical or psychological injury or the risk there of” to the client.
3. Who is authorized to sign the informed surgical consent for a client who is not
mentally competent or is incapacitated??
a. Client
b. Anesthesiologist
c. Agency representative
d. Client’s friend
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> If a client is mentally incompetent or incapacitated a responsible
guardian, agency representative or court representative may sign the informed consent.
4. Which stage of grief is a client in when he or she begins to state: “Just let me live to
see my daughter finish school?”
a. Bargaining
b. Depression
c. Denial
,d. Anger
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> Kubler Ross describes this stage as a way of postponing death. Any
client who makes these types of statements is bargaining because he or she is unable to
face reality and has gone through the stage of being angry and now wants to postpone
the inevitable.
5. A 10-year-old client is scheduled for surgery in an operating room (OR) with a low
temperature. What can be done to keep this client from becoming hypothermic?
a. Keep the OR temperature low.
b. Warm the client before he or she enters the OR.
c. Use an overhead radiant heater.
d. Warm the OR prior to the client’s arrival.
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> D
Explanation:->> Warming/raising the temperature in the OR would be critical to
maintainingproper body temperature.
6. The first priority in treating a trauma client is .
a. placing an IV catheter
b. opening the airway
c. placing a chest tube
d. controlling blood loss
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> As with all trauma clients, the first priority is to open the airway and
makesure that it is maintained.
7. A pregnant client has been diagnosed as having appendicitis and needs surgery.
When should the surgery be performed?
a. Third trimester
b. Second trimester
c. Immediately
d. After delivery
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> Emergent operative procedures such as appendicitis should be
performed immediately.
8. How should the surgical technologist (ST) handle a bullet that has been removed from
a surgical client?
,a. With sterile gauze
b. With a clamp
c. Throw into the kick bucket
d. Throw away into sharps container
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> Bullets should be carefully handled; they should be placed on a clean
gauze and passed off the sterile field. The surgical technologist should avoid any contact
of thebullet with any other metal, as metal could scratch the bullet, and obscure
evidential marks.
9. To keep airborne contamination in the OR to a minimum, how many maximum
air changes should take place?
a. 40 per hour
b. 20 per hour
c. 10 per hour
d. 30 per hour
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> The CDC recommends that ORs be ventilated with at least a
minimum of 15and a maximum of 20 air changes per hour.
10. When using a laser, which precaution is best to use?
a. Have sterile saline available
b. Have a fire team available
c. Place dry towels around the operative site
d. Place wet towels around the operative site
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> D
Explanation:->> Wet towels are placed around the operative site to prevent burns in
the areafrom the laser beam.
11. Escherichia coli resides on humans in the lumen of the .
a. intestines
b. esophagus
c. ureters
d. urethra
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> E. coli are resident bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract.
12. The most commonly transmitted pathogen in the OR is .
, a. Candida albicans
b. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
c. Staphylococcus aureus
d. Pseudomonas aeruginosa
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> C
Explanation:->> S. aureus normally resides on healthy skin, but when transmitted to the
surgical wound by direct or indirect contact can cause infection. S. aureus is the most
wide spread cause of surgical site infections. 70% of people are skin carriers of S. aureus
13. A client has just been found to have a postsurgical infection. Which source is most
likely the primary means of infecting this client?
a. Contamination during the case
b. SSI from the client’s own skin
c. The client is a cigarette smoker
d. The surgical team did not wear a hair cover
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> The primary source for SSI is from the client’s own skin.
14. The ST has just passed a new #10 blade to the surgeon to make the first incision on
the skin. The surgeon has requested a #10 blade again. What should the ST do?
a. Pass the same #10 blade.
b. Change the blade to a new blade and pass.
c. Give the surgeon a new #15 blade.
d. Tell the surgeon that you are unsure of what to do.
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> B
Explanation:->> Instruments that come into contact with the skin of the client should
not bereused.
15. When an ST must move to the head of the OR table to retrieve a sponge, he or she
must move:
a. back to back.
b. front to back.
c. side to back.
d. not at all.
CORRECT CHOICE:->>> A
Explanation:->> The ST should always pass other surgical team members in the sterile
field byfacing one another or by passing back to back.
