The emergency shut-off valve for the supply of oxygen into an operating room is designated by which color?
green
Which characteristic of surgical overhead lights allows the surgeon to differentiate between the colors of arterial and
venous blood or subtle color changes in tissues?
lightbulbs that approximate sunlight
Where are surgical instrument “booms” mounted in an operating room?
ceiling
Which piece of OR furniture is usually the MOST proximal to the operative site?
Mayo stand
All doors into a restricted area must remain closed during an operation to:
preserve positive air pressure
What is the electrical engineering safety device required for all operating room electrical outlets?
grounding system
An operating room where a surgical procedure is in progress would be considered what type of area?
restricted
The Wilson frame is used for positioning a patient in which of the following surgical positions?
prone
Which type of procedure would require an operating table with a fluid drain pan attachment?
cystoscopy
An erasable board is usually hung in the OR that is within easy viewing range of the surgical team to record:
a. sponge usage
b. sharps
c. instrument counts **d. all of the above
Which type of ventilation system provides a supply of clean air and reduces contaminants and fumes from the OR?
positive, unidirectional
What are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for OR air exchanges per hour?
20–25 with 20% fresh outside air
Unless the patient is at risk of hypothermia, the temperature range in the OR should be between:
68°F and 73°F
Which of the following components of personal protective equipment (PPE) are worn for procedures using
fluoroscopy?
lead apron and thyroid shield
Frozen section biopsies are sent to which hospital department for analysis?
pathology
What is the term used for the process of cleaning an OR after one procedure and preparing for a subsequent one?
turnover
Which of the following is NOT a category of hazard for OR personnel or surgical patients?
physiological
Which of the following national agencies is an arm of the CDC and functions under the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services to research and establish permissible exposure limits for chemical vapors and gases?
NIOSH
Which of the following terms relates to the potential impact on personnel from the duties of the job description or the
handling and use of equipment and supplies encountered within the perioperative environment?
ergonomics
The visual representation of the components necessary to support a fire is which of the following geometric shapes?
triangle
Which type of electricity is generated primarily by friction between two surfaces?
static
Which of the following diagnostic studies emits ionizing radiation?
fluoroscopy
All of the following are ways to reduce personnel radiological exposure EXCEPT:
***a. amplification***
b. distance c. shielding d. time
A strategy to avoid intraoperative sharps injuries is to establish and use which type of a zone?
neutral
Effective surgical smoke evacuator units suction and filter particles as small as:
0.1–0.5 μm
What term is used for the smoke that is generated by use of a laser or electrosurgical unit pencil on tissue?
plume
What is the chemical name of the powder and liquid mixture used as bone cement for placement of prostheses?
polymethyl methacrylate
What is the name of the system attached to all anesthesia machines to remove waste anesthesia gases?
scavenger
Which of the following is a substance that is derived from tropical trees and that patients and health care workers may
be highly allergic to?
latex
Which type of natural immunoglobulins are responsible for the type I serious allergic reactions to rubber-containing
items?
IgE
What distance from the impact site of a laser beam on tissue should the smoke evacuator be positioned to capture 98%
of the plume?
1 cm
What is the acronym for the treatment administered to a surgical technologist within 2 hours following a needle stick
during a procedure on a patient with HIV?
PEP
What distance from the portable x-ray unit should sterile members of the surgical team stand to reduce their exposure
while the image is being taken?
as far as possible
Which governmental agency mandates that operating rooms have a biohazard exposure control plan and make
personal protective equipment available for personnel at risk?
OSHA
The part of the complete ESU circuit that delivers alternating current back from exposed tissue to the ESU generator is
the:
patient return electrode (grounding pad)
Harvey Cushing, M.D., and William Bovie, Ph.D., collaborated in the 1926 to create the first:
electrosurgical unit
Equipment with the highest potential for serving as ignition sources in surgical fires include all of the following
EXCEPT:
a. electrosurgical units
b. fiber-optic light cables
c. laser fibers or beams
***d. phacoemulsification probes***
Which of the following would be least damaging to and most effective on a fire involving a laser generator or
electrosurgical unit?
Class C halon extinguisher sprayed on unit
Which of the following is the large piece of OR furniture onto which most sterile supplies are opened and organized
for use during a case?
back table
The post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) was previously often referred to as:
recovery
Which of the following is commonly used as a tissue fixative and preservative for surgical specimens sent to
pathology?
formalin
What is the abbreviation for the sets of references that provide information about all potentially hazardous chemicals
used in the perioperative setting and must be accessible to health care workers?
MSDS
Which of the following is NOT part of a three-prong plug?
bipolar wire/prongs
Which of the following should be used by surgical team members to prevent potential injury from tasks involving
heavy lifting, moving of equipment or patients, and long periods of standing or sitting?
proper body mechanics
Which of the following is the type of head fixation device that attaches to the operating table used frequently for
craniotomy procedures?
Mayfield brace
According to the American Latex Allergy Association, what percentage of health care workers are allergic to latex?
8-17%
Which of the following is the mnemonic used to remember the steps for operating a fire extinguisher?
PASS
Which of the following is the mnemonic used to remember the steps to take in the event of a surgical fire?
RACE
All of the following are articulating breakpoints or removable sections of an operating table EXCEPT:
a. head
b. knee ***c. side***d. waist
Which of the following organizations sets standards for electrical safety, sterilization, and use of medical devices?
AAMI
Locker rooms, administrative offices, and the departmental main desk are examples of semirestricted areas in the OR
suite.
False
Infectious, blood-saturated and dripping, regulated medical waste should be contained and discarded in red bags with
a biohazard symbol.
True
Soiled sponges from the operative field are discarded into low-to-the-floor, rolling, lined kick buckets.
True
Polymethyl methacrylate is a gas used to sterilize heat-sensitive surgical instruments, but must be aerated from items
before use on the patient.
False
The physical design of an OR suite is designed to control personnel, patient, and supply traffic and may be of a race
track, hotel, or specialty grouping type.
True
Connection points for negative pressure lines that allow for removal of irrigation and body fluids from the surgical site
or by the anesthesia provider for management of patient secretions
Suction outlets
Area of an operating room suite adjacent to an OR, which may contain a scrub sink or immediate-use steam sterilizer
Substerile
Positive pressure gradient that prevents airborne contaminants in the corridors from entering the OR when doors are
opened
Laminar flow
Equipment used by CRNA or MD for induction, maintenance, monitoring, and reversal of a patient undergoing
surgery
Anesthesia cart
Surgical energy that uses intense focused light beams and is an ignition source for surgical fires if proper precautions
not taken
Laser
Real-time intraoperative radiography that emits large amounts of ionizing radiation and requires use of a C-arm image
intensifier
Fluoroscopy
Ignition source caused by friction between two surfaces and electron transfer; resulting in sparks or palpable shocks
Static electricity
Separate department with direct or indirect connections to OR suite where instrument decontamination, assembly, and
sterilization takes place and may include hospital materials storage
CSPD
Category of “sharp” that has a beveled point and hollow cannula and either should not be recapped or should involve
using the one-handed scoop method if recapping is necessary
Hypodermics
Area of an operating room suite where patients have IV lines started, sign consents, interview with surgeons,
anesthesia providers, and nurses prior to transfer to the OR for procedures