Question 1

What is the purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?

Accepted Answer

The purpose of the OSHA standards is to ensure that all hazards of chemicals produced or imported are evaluated and that information concerning hazards is transmitted to employers and employees.Responsibility to inform workers about chemical hazards and to use control measures,including providing PPE,rests with the employer.The OSHA hazard communication standard requires all manufacturers and importers of hazardous chemicals to develop SDSs for all chemicals and mixtures of chemicals.

Question 2

Perioperative personnel historically have relied on numerous types of precautions to protect themselves and others from bloodborne pathogens and other infectious diseases.Select the statement that best describes standard precautions.

Accepted Answer

Standard precautions apply to: (1)blood; (2)all body fluids,secretions,and excretions (except sweat),regardless of whether they contain visible blood; (3)mucous membranes; and (4)nonintact skin.Standard precautions apply to all patients receiving care,regardless of diagnosis or presumed infection status.

Question 3

Contact with infected patients or infectious material places healthcare workers at risk for occupational-acquired infection.Which communicable disease are healthcare workers most commonly at risk for acquiring or transmitting?

Accepted Answer

Patients transmit influenza to healthcare workers and,in turn,healthcare workers who are clinically or subclinically infected with influenza can transmit seasonal influenza to patients or others.Studies demonstrate seasonal influenza antibodies in healthcare workers who did not recall ever having a respiratory tract infection.By receiving the seasonal influenza vaccination,healthcare workers protect themselves,their patients,and their families.

Question 4

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act requires employers to introduce work practice controls to protect healthcare workers from bloodborne pathogen exposure.Examples of work practice controls during surgery include:

Accepted Answer

The "neutral zone" has been defined as a location on the surgical field where sharps are placed in a predesignated sterile basin or tray or on a magnetic pad,from which the surgeon or assistant can retrieve them.After use,the items are returned to the neutral zone,and the scrub person retrieves them.This technique eliminates hand-to-hand passing of sharps between the surgeon and the scrub person,so that no two individuals touch the same sharp at the same time.

Question 5

Elevated noise levels and distractions in the OR can make communication difficult and may impact patient safety.Behavioral noise reduction strategies may include:

Accepted Answer

AORN supports and a multidisciplinary team approach to reduce noise and distractions,particularly those that do not serve a clinical purpose,to promote a safer environment of care.Examples of nonclinical noise may be music,phones,conversation,laughter,unnecessary overly loud instruments,alarms,and machinery sounds.The creation of a No Interruption Zone (NIZ)is a care environment where there is minimal or no nonessential conversation and activities during critical phases.

Question 6

Which of the following may be a consequence of high-dose or full-body radiation?

Accepted Answer

Acute exposure to ionizing radiation can result in dermatitis and reddening of the skin (erythema)at the point of exposure,while large,full-body exposures can lead to radiation poisoning,symptoms of which may include nausea,vomiting,diarrhea,weakness,and death.

Question 7

Wet floors are a common hazard causing slips,trips,and falls (STFs).Select a prevention strategy that is a best practice for preventing STFs from spills on wet floors.

Accepted Answer

Planning to avoid wet spots can reduce the rate of falls.Providing lids for all cups or other open containers being transported helps to avoid spills.

Question 8

Latex allergy develops from exposure to natural rubber latex and plant cytosol,used extensively to manufacture medical gloves and other devices,as well as numerous consumer products.Allergic reactions to latex range from skin disease to asthma and anaphylaxis that can result in chronic illness,disability,career loss,hardship,and death.Which signs and symptoms would be indicative of an allergic contact dermatitis response to contact with natural rubber latex?

Accepted Answer

Allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed reaction,usually appearing 6 to 48 hours after exposure.Symptoms are similar to those from irritant contact dermatitis (i.e.,drying papules,crusting,and thickening of the skin),except that the reaction may extend beyond the actual point of contact.Allergic contact dermatitis (also called chemical contact dermatitis)is a delayed cell-mediated type IV localized allergy caused by chemicals used to manufacture rubber products.

Question 9

Which list of medications best reflects medications indicated for latex sensitivity therapeutic management?

Accepted Answer

Medications used during a reaction include epinephrine (may be autoinjector and carried by individual),beta-agonist inhaler,prednisone,and other anaphylactic life-supporting medications.

Question 10

Waste anesthetic gases are small amounts of gases that may leak either from the patient's anesthetic breathing circuit into the OR air while anesthesia is being administered or from exhalation of the patient during recovery.Both mechanisms of exposure create risks for OR personnel.What is an effect of short-term exposure for the healthcare worker?

Accepted Answer

Short-term exposure causes lethargy and fatigue.Long-term exposure may be linked to spontaneous abortion,congenital abnormalities,infertility,premature births,cancer,and renal and hepatic disease.Today,perioperative staff members are exposed to trace amounts of waste anesthetic gas,and although this exposure cannot be eliminated,it can be controlled.

Question 11

Select the statement that best describes a culture of safety in the perioperative area.

Accepted Answer

A healthcare institution's culture of safety profoundly impacts its success or failure in reducing employees' blood exposure risk.For sharps safety in particular,success factors include effective systematic review of exposure data,workers' perceptions of exposure risk,availability and use of safety devices,and comprehensive education on bloodborne pathogen exposure risk and safety device use.

Question 12

Healthcare professionals should employ strategies to reduce their risk of allergic reaction to latex in the perioperative environment.Which of the following represents a best practice for minimizing the risk of latex allergy development?

Accepted Answer

Use powder-free gloves that are low in protein and chemical allergens.Use nonlatex gloves for activities that are not likely to involve contact with infectious materials.Hypoallergenic gloves do not reduce the risk for latex allergy,although they may reduce reactions to chemical additives in the latex.

Question 13

Where are the sources of radiation exposure in an operating room setting?

Accepted Answer

Sources of radiation exposure in the OR include ionizing sources,such as portable radiography (X-ray)machines and portable fluoroscopy units (C-arm),and nonionizing sources,such as lasers.

Question 14

The lifting equation provides a mathematical calculation to determine the recommended weight limit (RWL)and lifting index (LI)for selected two-handed manual lifting tasks.What is the recommended maximum weight limit for one person in a patient handling task,and what is the best option when the weight limit exceeds the recommendation?

Accepted Answer

The concept behind the lifting equation is to start with a recommended weight that is considered safe for an ideal lift and then to reduce the weight as the task becomes more stressful.In general,the revised equation yields a recommended 35-lb maximum weight limit for use in patient handling tasks.When the weight to be lifted exceeds this limit,assistive devices should be used.

Question 15

One example of personal protective equipment (PPE)is the N95 respiratory mask.When is use of this respirator indicated?

Accepted Answer

The N95 respirator mask is measurably superior in protection to high filtration and surgical masks when perioperative staff is exposed to surgical smoke.N95 respirator masks certified by NIOSH provide secondary protection from residual surgical smoke that evades smoke evacuation.

Question 16

Select the true statement that best explains the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)exposure control plan (ECP).

Accepted Answer

OSHA regulations require healthcare organizations to protect their workers and to have a sharps injury and bloodborne pathogen ECP.At a minimum,the following must be included in the ECP: determination of employee exposure; implementation of exposure control methods,including universal precautions,engineering and work-practice controls,personal protective equipment (PPE)and housekeeping,hepatitis B vaccination,postexposure evaluation and follow-up,communication of hazards to employees and training,recordkeeping,and procedures to evaluate exposure incidents.

Question 17

Select the guideline that complements the design of the culture of safety model.

Accepted Answer

You can take significant measures toward ensuring your personal safety and avoiding injuries from sharps if you do the following: adopt and incorporate safe habits into daily work activities when preparing and using sharp devices.Observe local,state,and federal (OSHA)regulations.Comply with methods to protect yourself from disease transmission (e.g.,get the hepatitis B vaccination).Participate in education about bloodborne pathogens,and follow recommended infection prevention practices.Know the location in your department of the ECP.Finally,follow the exposure control policy if injured,including immediate reporting of the incident and commencement of exposure response procedures.

Question 18

If a staff person receives a needlestick injury,what is the first corrective action?

Accepted Answer

If a needlestick or other occupational contact (e.g.,splashing or spraying)that could result in a bloodborne pathogen exposure does occur,the injured person should wash with soap and water all wounds and skin sites that have been contacted by blood or body fluids.Procedures following include alerting the supervisor and initiating the injury reporting system used in the workplace; identifying the source patient; testing the patient for HIV,HBV,and HCV infections; immediately reporting to employee health,the ED,or the designated facility; and documenting the exposure in detail,for your own records as well as for the employer and for workers' compensation purposes.

Question 19

A nurse anesthesia provider has an allergy to latex.When she is at work,she always carries an epinephrine autoinjector and a beta-agonist inhaler.What type of latex allergy does she have?

Accepted Answer

A true latex allergy is a type I IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction that involves systemic antibody formation to proteins in products made from natural rubber latex.The allergic response is immediate and anaphylactic.Medications include epinephrine for reaction (may be autoinjector and carried by individual),beta-agonist inhaler,prednisone,and other anaphylactic life-supporting medications.

Question 20

What one factor contributes the most to the high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)among surgical technologists and perioperative nurses?

Accepted Answer

The high incidence of MSDs among nurses is the cumulative effect of repeated patient handling events,often involving unsafe loads.Nurses and surgical technologists often lift,transfer,or reposition patients on OR beds and transport vehicles,and assist with prepping with their arms outstretched or their bodies bent forward in awkward postures and positions,increasing the risk for injury.

Quiz 3: Workplace Issues and Staff Safety

What is the purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) ?