NBSTSA Practice Exam question with
answers
1. Which of the following is considered the MOST important skill for a surgical technologist?
A. management of specimens
B. management of sponges
C. maintaining an orderly setup
D. ensuring adequate lighting - -A. Management of specimens
-2. During the postoperative phase, the personnel primarily responsible for transporting soiled
instrumentation to decontamination is the
A. housekeeping staff.
B. anesthesia technician.
C. surgical technologist.
D. central processing technician. - -C. Surgical technologist
-3. The surgical incision that allows for the BEST visualization for a Billroth I procedure is
A. McBurney's.
B. Pfannenstiel.
C. midline.
D. subcostal. - -C. Midline
-4. CSF is formed in the lateral ventricles of a patient and may not properly flow into the third ventricle
through the foramen of
A. Magendie into the fourth ventricle.
B. Monro into the fourth ventricle.
C. Sylvius into the fourth ventricle.
D. Luschka into the fourth ventricle. - -C. Sylvius into the fourth ventricle
-5. During an excisional biopsy of sentinel nodes, the surgical technologist should prepare specimens
using which of the following methods?
A. Place on a Raytec to be handed off to the circulator.
B. Separate on Telfa and pass to the circulator.
C. Place in separate containers and identify.
D. Place in specimen container held by the circulator using a hemostat. - -C. Place in separate containers
and identify
-6. A surgical technologist received the following medications onto the sterile field: 0.9% sodium
chloride, bacitracin 1 gm, and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine. Which of the following is the MOST
appropriate way to label these medications?
,A. saline + bacitracin and .25 Marcaine + epinephrine
B. NACL + 1 gm baci and 0.25 marc w/epi
C. saline + baci and 0.25% marc with epi
D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine - -D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin
and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine
-7. A thyroidectomy that was done earlier in the day is being brought back for excessive bleeding from
the incision. Which of the following items are needed for this case?
A. Monocryl suture and harmonic scalpel
B. laps, silk ties, and hemoclips
C. Vicryl ties, pledgets, and Alexis
D. nylon suture, Raytec, and Geralds - -B. laps, silk ties, and hemoclips
-8. If there is any question related to handling a specific type of specimen, which of the following
departments should be consulted?
A. histology
B. laboratory
C. pathology
D. radiology - -C. Pathology
-9. The required number of air exchanges per hour in an OR is
A. 5 to 10.
B. 15 to 25.
C. 30 to 35.
D. 40 to 50. - -B. 15 to 25
-10. A special-made instrument without a backup falls to the floor during a procedure. Which of the
following is the BEST reason to hesitate performing immediate-use sterilization?
A. The sterilizer is used for implantable devices, but not instruments.
B. The manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
C. The staff feels uncomfortable transporting the unwrapped instrument to the OR after sterilization.
D. There are no wrappers or pouches available for sterilizing the instrument. - -B. The manufacturer's
standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
-11. When transferring a thoracotomy patient to recovery, the chest drainage system should be
A. disconnected.
B. placed at the patient's side.
C. positioned above the patient's head.
D. maintained below the patient's chest level. - -D. Maintained below the patient's chest level
-12.Which of the following procedures requires an incision in the suprasternal notch?
A. mediastinoscopy
, B. bronchoscopy
C. parotidectomy
D. pericardectomy - -A. Mediastionscopy
-13. When preparing surgical specimens, in addition to the surgical technologist, who else is responsible
for accurately labeling the specimen?
A. surgeon and anesthesiologist
B. circulating nurse and first assistant
C. anesthesiologist and first assistant
D. surgeon and circulating nurse - -D. Surgeon and circulating nurse
-14. A T-tube drain may be used following
A. a splenectomy.
B. a choledochotomy.
C. an appendectomy.
D. a herniorrhaphy. - -B. a choledochotomy
-15. When assisting with the closure of a skin incision and operating the skin stapler, the surgical
technologist places the staples through which two layers?
A. cuticular and subcuticular
B. subicular and subcutaneous
C. subcuticular and subcutaneous
D. subcutaneous and fascia - -A. cuticular and subcuticular
-16. A type of regional anesthesia in which a tourniquet is applied and local anesthetic is administered
intravenously is called a
A. Bier block.
B. peripheral nerve block.
C. MAC.
D. caudal anesthesia. - -A. Bier block
-17. During a craniotomy, which of the following types of bone is entered?
A. flat
B. round
C. long
D. short - -A. Flat
-18. A physician prescribed 50 milligrams of Demerol. The Demerol is supplied in 100 mg/mL. How many
mL of Demerol should be given?
A. 0.5 mL
B. 1.0 mL
C. 1.5 mL
answers
1. Which of the following is considered the MOST important skill for a surgical technologist?
A. management of specimens
B. management of sponges
C. maintaining an orderly setup
D. ensuring adequate lighting - -A. Management of specimens
-2. During the postoperative phase, the personnel primarily responsible for transporting soiled
instrumentation to decontamination is the
A. housekeeping staff.
B. anesthesia technician.
C. surgical technologist.
D. central processing technician. - -C. Surgical technologist
-3. The surgical incision that allows for the BEST visualization for a Billroth I procedure is
A. McBurney's.
B. Pfannenstiel.
C. midline.
D. subcostal. - -C. Midline
-4. CSF is formed in the lateral ventricles of a patient and may not properly flow into the third ventricle
through the foramen of
A. Magendie into the fourth ventricle.
B. Monro into the fourth ventricle.
C. Sylvius into the fourth ventricle.
D. Luschka into the fourth ventricle. - -C. Sylvius into the fourth ventricle
-5. During an excisional biopsy of sentinel nodes, the surgical technologist should prepare specimens
using which of the following methods?
A. Place on a Raytec to be handed off to the circulator.
B. Separate on Telfa and pass to the circulator.
C. Place in separate containers and identify.
D. Place in specimen container held by the circulator using a hemostat. - -C. Place in separate containers
and identify
-6. A surgical technologist received the following medications onto the sterile field: 0.9% sodium
chloride, bacitracin 1 gm, and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine. Which of the following is the MOST
appropriate way to label these medications?
,A. saline + bacitracin and .25 Marcaine + epinephrine
B. NACL + 1 gm baci and 0.25 marc w/epi
C. saline + baci and 0.25% marc with epi
D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine - -D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin
and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine
-7. A thyroidectomy that was done earlier in the day is being brought back for excessive bleeding from
the incision. Which of the following items are needed for this case?
A. Monocryl suture and harmonic scalpel
B. laps, silk ties, and hemoclips
C. Vicryl ties, pledgets, and Alexis
D. nylon suture, Raytec, and Geralds - -B. laps, silk ties, and hemoclips
-8. If there is any question related to handling a specific type of specimen, which of the following
departments should be consulted?
A. histology
B. laboratory
C. pathology
D. radiology - -C. Pathology
-9. The required number of air exchanges per hour in an OR is
A. 5 to 10.
B. 15 to 25.
C. 30 to 35.
D. 40 to 50. - -B. 15 to 25
-10. A special-made instrument without a backup falls to the floor during a procedure. Which of the
following is the BEST reason to hesitate performing immediate-use sterilization?
A. The sterilizer is used for implantable devices, but not instruments.
B. The manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
C. The staff feels uncomfortable transporting the unwrapped instrument to the OR after sterilization.
D. There are no wrappers or pouches available for sterilizing the instrument. - -B. The manufacturer's
standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
-11. When transferring a thoracotomy patient to recovery, the chest drainage system should be
A. disconnected.
B. placed at the patient's side.
C. positioned above the patient's head.
D. maintained below the patient's chest level. - -D. Maintained below the patient's chest level
-12.Which of the following procedures requires an incision in the suprasternal notch?
A. mediastinoscopy
, B. bronchoscopy
C. parotidectomy
D. pericardectomy - -A. Mediastionscopy
-13. When preparing surgical specimens, in addition to the surgical technologist, who else is responsible
for accurately labeling the specimen?
A. surgeon and anesthesiologist
B. circulating nurse and first assistant
C. anesthesiologist and first assistant
D. surgeon and circulating nurse - -D. Surgeon and circulating nurse
-14. A T-tube drain may be used following
A. a splenectomy.
B. a choledochotomy.
C. an appendectomy.
D. a herniorrhaphy. - -B. a choledochotomy
-15. When assisting with the closure of a skin incision and operating the skin stapler, the surgical
technologist places the staples through which two layers?
A. cuticular and subcuticular
B. subicular and subcutaneous
C. subcuticular and subcutaneous
D. subcutaneous and fascia - -A. cuticular and subcuticular
-16. A type of regional anesthesia in which a tourniquet is applied and local anesthetic is administered
intravenously is called a
A. Bier block.
B. peripheral nerve block.
C. MAC.
D. caudal anesthesia. - -A. Bier block
-17. During a craniotomy, which of the following types of bone is entered?
A. flat
B. round
C. long
D. short - -A. Flat
-18. A physician prescribed 50 milligrams of Demerol. The Demerol is supplied in 100 mg/mL. How many
mL of Demerol should be given?
A. 0.5 mL
B. 1.0 mL
C. 1.5 mL
