Deck 5: Physical Environment and Safety Standards

Question 1

Which type of procedure would require an operating table with a fluid drain pan attachment?

A) cardiac catheterization
B) coronary artery bypass
C) craniotomy
D) cystoscopy

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Why would surface-mounted sliding doors be preferred over swinging doors in an operating room?

A) less costly
B) easier to clean
C) reduces air turbulence
D) uses less wall space

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What is the term used for the process of cleaning an OR after one procedure and preparing for a subsequent one?

A) turnover
B) crossover
C) passover
D) changeover

Answer 3

A

Question 4

An operating room where a surgical procedure is in progress would be considered what type of area?

A) biohazardous
B) decontamination
C) restricted
D) semirestricted

Question 5

Unless the patient is at risk of hypothermia, the temperature range in the OR should be between:

A) 55°F and 60°F
B) 63°F and 68°F
C) 68°F and 73°F
D) 75°F and 80°F

Question 6

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?

A) AAMI
B) ANSI
C) NIOSH
D) NFPA

Question 7

Frozen section biopsies are sent to which hospital department for analysis?

A) CT scan
B) nuclear medicine
C) pathology
D) sterile processing

Question 8

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?

A) aerobics
B) ergonomics
C) mnemonics
D) prosthetics

Question 9

What are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for OR air exchanges per hour?

A) 10-15 with 20% fresh outside air
B) 10-15 with 90% filtered recirculated air
C) 20-25 with 20% fresh outside air
D) 20-25 with 90% filtered recirculated air

Question 10

Which piece of OR furniture is usually the MOST proximal to the operative site?

A) back table
B) kick bucket
C) Mayo stand
D) ring stand

Question 11

The Wilson frame is used for positioning a patient in which of the following surgical positions?

A) lateral kidney
B) lithotomy
C) prone
D) sitting

Question 12

The emergency shut-off valve for the supply of oxygen into an operating room is designated by which color?

A) black
B) blue
C) green
D) red

Question 13

What is the electrical engineering safety device required for all operating room electrical outlets?

A) flip top cover
B) red-color designation
C) current converter
D) ground fault interrupter

Question 14

Which type of ventilation system provides a supply of clean air and reduces contaminants and fumes from the OR?

A) negative, bidirectional
B) negative, unidirectional
C) positive, bidirectional
D) positive, unidirectional

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a category of hazard for OR personnel or surgical patients?

A) biological
B) chemical
C) physical
D) physiological

Question 16

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?

A) lightbulbs that give fluorescent light
B) lightbulbs that approximate sunlight
C) adjustable tracks for repositioning lights
D) spot focus with dark center to prevent glaring

Question 17

What are the preferred characteristics common to the walls, floors, cabinets, and doors in an operating room?

A) cushioned and color coded
B) nonporous and waterproof
C) padded and pleasant colored
D) reflective and fireproof

Question 18

Which of the following components of personal protective equipment (PPE) are worn for procedures using fluoroscopy?

A) laser mask and laser goggles
B) arthroscopy boots and impervious apron
C) plastic face shield and N-95 respirator mask
D) lead apron and thyroid shield

Question 19

The visual representation of the components necessary to support a fire is which of the following geometric shapes?

A) circle
B) ellipse
C) square
D) triangle

Question 20

Where are surgical instrument "booms" mounted in an operating room?

A) ceiling
B) door
C) floor
D) wall

Question 21

What term is used for the smoke that is generated by use of a laser or electrosurgical unit pencil on tissue?

A) emission
B) fog
C) plume
D) scatter

Question 22

Harvey Cushing, M.D., and William Bovie, Ph.D., collaborated in the 1926 to create the first:

A) anesthesia machine
B) electrosurgical unit
C) heart-lung machine
D) portable x-ray generator

Question 23

A strategy to avoid intraoperative sharps injuries is to establish and use which type of a zone?

A) danger
B) exposure
C) free
D) neutral

Question 24

Which type of natural immunoglobulins are responsible for the type I serious allergic reactions to rubber-containing items?

A) IgA
B) IgE
C) IgG
D) IgM

Question 25

Which governmental agency mandates that operating rooms have a biohazard exposure control plan and make personal protective equipment available for personnel at risk?

A) EPA
B) FDA
C) NRC
D) OSHA

Question 26

What distance from the impact site of a laser beam on tissue should the smoke evacuator be positioned to capture 98% of the plume?

A) 1 cm
B) 2 cm
C) 5 cm
D) 10 cm

Question 27

All of the following are ways to reduce personnel radiological exposure EXCEPT:

A) amplification
B) distance
C) shielding
D) time

Question 28

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?

A) chlorhexidine
B) iodine
C) latex
D) polyvinylchloride

Question 29

Which type of electricity is generated primarily by friction between two surfaces?

A) alternating
B) bipolar
C) direct
D) static

Question 30

Which of the following diagnostic studies emits ionizing radiation?

A) fluoroscopy
B) MRI scan
C) pulse oximetry
D) ultrasound

Question 31

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

Question 32

The post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) was previously often referred to as:

A) holding
B) isolation
C) outpatient
D) recovery

Question 33

What is the chemical name of the powder and liquid mixture used as bone cement for placement of prostheses?

A) cyanoacrylate
B) ethylene oxide
C) activated glutaraldehyde
D) polymethyl methacrylate

Question 34

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?

A) back table
B) Mayo stand
C) prep table
D) ring stand

Question 35

The part of the complete ESU circuit that delivers alternating current back from exposed tissue to the ESU generator is the:

A) active electrode pencil
B) foot control pedal
C) patient return electrode
D) third prong of the grounded plug

Question 36

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?

A) 1 foot
B) 2 feet
C) 4 feet
D) 6 feet

Question 37

What is the name of the system attached to all anesthesia machines to remove waste anesthesia gases?

A) scavenger
B) sequestering
C) shunting
D) suppression

Question 38

Effective surgical smoke evacuator units suction and filter particles as small as:

A) 0.1-0.5 µm
B) 1.0-5.0 µm
C) 0.1-0.5 mm
D) 1.0-5.0 mm

Question 39

Which of the following would be least damaging to and most effective on a fire involving a laser generator or electrosurgical unit?

A) Class D halon extinguisher sprayed on unit
B) cotton blankets used to smother fire
C) sterile saline poured to douse fire
D) unplugging power cord to stop flow of electricity

Question 40

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?

A) PASS
B) PEP
C) PPE
D) PMMA

Question 41

Which of the following is the type of head fixation device that attaches to the operating table used frequently for craniotomy procedures?

A) C-arm unit
B) lithotomy stirrups
C) Mayfield brace
D) Wilson frame

Question 42

Which of the following acronyms refers to the immunoassay used to diagnose latex allergy?

A) PASS
B) PMMA
C) RACE
D) RAST

Question 44

Infectious, blood-saturated and dripping, regulated medical waste should be contained and discarded in red bags with a biohazard symbol.

Question 45

All of the following are articulating breakpoints or removable sections of an operating table EXCEPT:

A) head
B) knee
C) side
D) waist

Question 46

Locker rooms, administrative offices, and the departmental main desk are examples of semirestricted areas in the OR suite.

Question 47

Which of the following is the mnemonic used to remember the steps to take in the event of a surgical fire?

A) PASS
B) PMMA
C) RACE
D) RAST

Question 48

Polymethyl methacrylate is a gas used to sterilize heat-sensitive surgical instruments, but must be aerated from items before use on the patient.

Question 49

Which of the following is the mnemonic used to remember the steps for operating a fire extinguisher?

A) PASS
B) PMMA
C) RACE
D) RAST

Question 50

Which of the following organizations sets standards for electrical safety, sterilization, and use of medical devices?

A) AAMI
B) ANSI
C) CSPS
D) OSHA

Question 51

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.

Question 52

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?

A) AAMI
B) MSDS
C) NIOSH
D) OSHA

Question 53

Soiled sponges from the operative field are discarded into low-to-the-floor, rolling, lined kick buckets.

Question 54

Which of the following is commonly used as a tissue fixative and preservative for surgical specimens sent to pathology?

A) ethylene oxide
B) formalin
C) glutaraldehyde
D) polymethyl methacrylate

Question 55

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?

A) permissible exposure limits
B) personal protective equipment
C) post-exposure prophylaxis
D) proper body mechanics

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT part of a three-prong plug?

A) active (hot) wire/prong
B) ground pin/prong
C) bipolar wire/prongs
D) inactive (neutral) wire/prong