SURGICAL FIRST ASSISTANT Practice Exam
• Tetralogy of Fallot: A congenital heart defect which is classically understood to involve
four anatomical abnormalities of the heart that include ventricular septal defect, pulmonary
valve stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, and transposition ofthe aorta (although only three
of them are always present).
• Pulling on the wrist to reduce a radius fracture incorporates which princi-ple of surgical
assisting?: traction-countertraction
• If a Kelly clamp is left in a patient who underwent a cholecystectomy, whichlegal charges
can be filed: res ipsa loquitur
• Res ipsa loquitur: or the thing speaks for itself
• Primum non nocere: or first do no harm
• During a posterolateral approach for an intracapsular hip fracture, whichof the following
muscles would be released along with the short external rotators and capsule from the
posterior aspect of the femur as a single musculocapsular flap?: piriformis
• When an open appendectomy is performed, it is necessary to identifythe: cecum and
ileocecal valve
• In patients who develop fever, abdominal pain, and profuse diarrhea, theMOST frequently
seen antibiotic-associated enterocolitis is due to which organism?: clostridium difficile
• Taper point needles are generally used in which of the following tissuetypes?
1. gastrointestinal
2. tendons
3. adipose
4. vascular: 1, 3, and 4
• A patient who is opposed to the acceptance of blood transfusion on thereligious principle
is undergoing a hysterectomy. During surgery, there wassignificant blood loss causing
hematocrit to drop to 30% with a resulting drop in oxygen saturation. Under these conditions,
what is the appropriateresponse?: Increase IV fluid drip to allow hemodilution
• Which of the following conditions is MOST common when insulation fail-ure occurs in
laparoscoopic surgery?
A. hypothermia
B. wound infection
C. tissue injury
D. adhesions: tissue injury
, • An adult male is injured in an automobile accident at 2 AM. An exploratorylaparotomy for
possible perforated bowel is initiated at 5AM. Which of the following is the best wound
classification in this scenario?: contaminated
• Clean wound: Operative wound in which no re4spiratory, alimentary, or geni-tourinary
tracts are entered and no break in sterile technique.
• Clean contaminated wound: Operative wound in which the respiratory, alimen-tary, or
genitourinary tract is entered under controlled conditions.
• Contaminated wound: Wounds that include traumatic wounds of less than 4 hours
duration and those in which operations with major breaks in aseptic techniqueand gross spillage
from the gastrointestinal tract are also included.
• Dirty or infected wound: Old, physically induced wounds with retained devital- ized tissue
with existing infection like an abscess or delayed primary closure from aruptured appendix.
• Which of the following angled plates is MOST frequently chosen for a compression hip
screw fixation?: 135 degrees
• Foman, Cottle, and Aufricht retractors are all considered which of the following kinds of
instrument?: ENT
• An Exmarch bandage is MOST frequently used for which of the followingtypes of
surgery?: Podiatric
• Which of the following techniques demonstrate a proven benefit in theprevention of
postoperative wound infections?
1. administering appropriate antibiotics within 1 hour of incision time
2. maintaining suitable antibiotic coverage for 48-72 hours postoperatively
3. irrigating the wound with normal saline
4. irrigating the wound with sterile water: 1 and 3 only
• Immediately follow an arthroscopic assisted ACL reconstruction, a pa-tient's knee is
typically placed in: a hinged knee brace
• When should the patient's chest tubes be attached to te drainage systemduring a
thoracotomy?: after the thoracic cavity is closed
• Which of the following is considered a non-impregnated, nonadherentdressing?
a. adaptic
b. vaseline gauze
c. telfa
d. xeroform: telfa
• Tetralogy of Fallot: A congenital heart defect which is classically understood to involve
four anatomical abnormalities of the heart that include ventricular septal defect, pulmonary
valve stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, and transposition ofthe aorta (although only three
of them are always present).
• Pulling on the wrist to reduce a radius fracture incorporates which princi-ple of surgical
assisting?: traction-countertraction
• If a Kelly clamp is left in a patient who underwent a cholecystectomy, whichlegal charges
can be filed: res ipsa loquitur
• Res ipsa loquitur: or the thing speaks for itself
• Primum non nocere: or first do no harm
• During a posterolateral approach for an intracapsular hip fracture, whichof the following
muscles would be released along with the short external rotators and capsule from the
posterior aspect of the femur as a single musculocapsular flap?: piriformis
• When an open appendectomy is performed, it is necessary to identifythe: cecum and
ileocecal valve
• In patients who develop fever, abdominal pain, and profuse diarrhea, theMOST frequently
seen antibiotic-associated enterocolitis is due to which organism?: clostridium difficile
• Taper point needles are generally used in which of the following tissuetypes?
1. gastrointestinal
2. tendons
3. adipose
4. vascular: 1, 3, and 4
• A patient who is opposed to the acceptance of blood transfusion on thereligious principle
is undergoing a hysterectomy. During surgery, there wassignificant blood loss causing
hematocrit to drop to 30% with a resulting drop in oxygen saturation. Under these conditions,
what is the appropriateresponse?: Increase IV fluid drip to allow hemodilution
• Which of the following conditions is MOST common when insulation fail-ure occurs in
laparoscoopic surgery?
A. hypothermia
B. wound infection
C. tissue injury
D. adhesions: tissue injury
, • An adult male is injured in an automobile accident at 2 AM. An exploratorylaparotomy for
possible perforated bowel is initiated at 5AM. Which of the following is the best wound
classification in this scenario?: contaminated
• Clean wound: Operative wound in which no re4spiratory, alimentary, or geni-tourinary
tracts are entered and no break in sterile technique.
• Clean contaminated wound: Operative wound in which the respiratory, alimen-tary, or
genitourinary tract is entered under controlled conditions.
• Contaminated wound: Wounds that include traumatic wounds of less than 4 hours
duration and those in which operations with major breaks in aseptic techniqueand gross spillage
from the gastrointestinal tract are also included.
• Dirty or infected wound: Old, physically induced wounds with retained devital- ized tissue
with existing infection like an abscess or delayed primary closure from aruptured appendix.
• Which of the following angled plates is MOST frequently chosen for a compression hip
screw fixation?: 135 degrees
• Foman, Cottle, and Aufricht retractors are all considered which of the following kinds of
instrument?: ENT
• An Exmarch bandage is MOST frequently used for which of the followingtypes of
surgery?: Podiatric
• Which of the following techniques demonstrate a proven benefit in theprevention of
postoperative wound infections?
1. administering appropriate antibiotics within 1 hour of incision time
2. maintaining suitable antibiotic coverage for 48-72 hours postoperatively
3. irrigating the wound with normal saline
4. irrigating the wound with sterile water: 1 and 3 only
• Immediately follow an arthroscopic assisted ACL reconstruction, a pa-tient's knee is
typically placed in: a hinged knee brace
• When should the patient's chest tubes be attached to te drainage systemduring a
thoracotomy?: after the thoracic cavity is closed
• Which of the following is considered a non-impregnated, nonadherentdressing?
a. adaptic
b. vaseline gauze
c. telfa
d. xeroform: telfa
