NBSTSA Practice Exam B 150 Questions

NBSTSA Practice Exam B 150 Questions with Complete Solutions

• Which of the following is considered the MOST important skill for a surgical technologist?
• management of specimens
• management of sponges
• maintaining an orderly setup
• ensuring adequate lighting - Correct Answer A. Management of specimens
• During the postoperative phase, the personnel primarily responsible for transporting soiled

instrumentation to decontamination is the

• housekeeping staff.
• anesthesia technician.
• surgical technologist.
• central processing technician. - Correct Answer C. Surgical technologist
• The surgical incision that allows for the BEST visualization for a Billroth I procedure is
• McBurney's.
• Pfannenstiel.
• midline.
• subcostal. - Correct Answer C. Midline
• CSF is formed in the lateral ventricles of a patient and may not properly flow into the third ventricle

through the foramen of

• Magendie into the fourth ventricle.
• Monro into the fourth ventricle. 1 / 4

• Sylvius into the fourth ventricle.
• Luschka into the fourth ventricle. - Correct Answer C. Sylvius into the fourth ventricle
• During an excisional biopsy of sentinel nodes, the surgical technologist should prepare specimens

using which of the following methods?

• Place on a Raytec to be handed off to the circulator.
• Separate on Telfa and pass to the circulator.
• Place in separate containers and identify.
• Place in specimen container held by the circulator using a hemostat. - Correct Answer C. Place in

separate containers and identify

• 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?

• saline + bacitracin and .25 Marcaine + epinephrine
• NACL + 1 gm baci and 0.25 marc w/epi
• saline + baci and 0.25% marc with epi
• 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine - Correct Answer D. 0.9% saline +
• gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine
• 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?

• Monocryl suture and harmonic scalpel
• laps, silk ties, and hemoclips
• Vicryl ties, pledgets, and Alexis
• nylon suture, Raytec, and Geralds - Correct Answer B. laps, silk ties, and hemoclips 2 / 4

• If there is any question related to handling a specific type of specimen, which of the following

departments should be consulted?

• histology
• laboratory
• pathology
• radiology - Correct Answer C. Pathology
• The required number of air exchanges per hour in an OR is
• 5 to 10.
• 15 to 25.
• 30 to 35.
• 40 to 50. - Correct Answer B. 15 to 25
• 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?

• The sterilizer is used for implantable devices, but not instruments.
• The manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
• The staff feels uncomfortable transporting the unwrapped instrument to the OR after sterilization.
• There are no wrappers or pouches available for sterilizing the instrument. - Correct Answer B. The

manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.

• When transferring a thoracotomy patient to recovery, the chest drainage system should be
• disconnected.
• placed at the patient's side.
• positioned above the patient's head. 3 / 4

• maintained below the patient's chest level. - Correct Answer D. Maintained below the patient's chest

level 12.Which of the following procedures requires an incision in the suprasternal notch?

• mediastinoscopy
• bronchoscopy
• parotidectomy
• pericardectomy - Correct Answer A. Mediastionscopy
• When preparing surgical specimens, in addition to the surgical technologist, who else is responsible

for accurately labeling the specimen?

• surgeon and anesthesiologist
• circulating nurse and first assistant
• anesthesiologist and first assistant
• surgeon and circulating nurse - Correct Answer D. Surgeon and circulating nurse
• A T-tube drain may be used following
• a splenectomy.
• a choledochotomy.
• an appendectomy.
• a herniorrhaphy. - Correct Answer B. a choledochotomy
• When assisting with the closure of a skin incision and operating the skin stapler, the surgical

technologist places the staples through which two layers?

• cuticular and subcuticular
• subicular and subcutaneous
• / 4