NBSTSA Practice Test 2025 Free CST and CSFA Exam Prep

1) How long after a tourniquet has been inflated does a CST need to notify the surgeon?

2) The department that troubleshoots potential hazards and develops an action plan in a healthcare facility is the:

3) Sterile individuals and items may have:

4) Which device delivers electrical current to the surgical site?

5) The closed glove technique is used:

6) Palms up is referred to as:

7) Before taking instruments down to decontamination, what actions should be taken?

8) The incision made for an open cholecystectomy is located in the:

9) Which part of the surgical gown is not sterile?

10) While moving the patient into the Trendelenburg position, the CST must:

11) Which of the following has inactive or hidden stages?

12) The decontamination process starts with:

13) Epinephrine is combined with local anesthetics to:

14) Which of the following fractions is the result of dividing 1/24 by 1/6?

15) Nails, rods, and plates are used to correct:

16) Which of the following is in the restricted area?

17) Veins draining the lower parts of the body merge into a larger vein that transports blood to the right atrium of the heart; this principal vein is called the:

18) The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth ribs protect this organ:

19) The enzyme produced by the kidneys that helps regulate blood pressure is:

20) Which of the following is not true about viruses?

21) After the scrub is complete, it is necessary to:

22) The pear-shaped sac about 3 to 4 inches long that stores and concentrates bile is the:

23) In which order are supplies counted for every procedure?

24) A condition caused by the protrusion of a portion of the stomach through the opening in the diaphragm is known as a(an):

25) Direct patient care is provided by the:

26) The acronym TURP means:

27) An exploratory laparotomy is performed to:

28) Relative deficiency of oxygen supply to the heart muscle that causes a sensation of pain and numbness in the left arm and shoulder is known as:

29) When positioning the patient’s arm on an arm board, avoid:

30) If a thoracic procedure requires a median sternotomy, what instruments are required?

31) Epinephrine is combined with local anesthetic agents in each of the following concentrations EXCEPT:

32) When should terminal cleaning be done?

33) Which of the following bacteria cause toxic shock?

34) All methods of sterilization require three elements. They are:

35) What should be done first when creating the sterile field?

36) Inflammation of the pelvis of the kidneys is known as:

37) What protective item(s) can be worn to shield the body when exposed to x-ray beams?

38) Where in the operating room is the anesthesia machine set up in relation to the operating room table and the patient?

39) Hoods and caps are types of:

40) Cheiloplasty is:

41) An isolation or retracting device used for vessels, ducts, or nerves is called:

42) The most commonly used sponges employed during surgery are:

43) When patient skin prep or urinary catheterization is being done, which method of donning gloves is used?

44) Which of the following diseases is not caused by a virus?

45) If a patient has been experiencing excessive uterine bleeding, her preoperative diagnosis is:

46) Complete destruction of all living organisms is termed:

47) Excision of a cone of tissue from the mucous membrane of the cervix is termed:

48) A measuring device used during surgical procedures is a:

49) An expected but unintended effect of a drug is termed a(n) _____effect:

50) The basic structural unit of biological organization is the:

51) The division process in cells that reduces the chromosome number by half is:

52) What are the five phases of general anesthesia in correct sequence?

53) The artery located in the upper arm is the:

54) The term that is defined as the farthest from the point of origin is:

55) A tube 10 inches long that allows the bolus to reach the stomach is called the:

56) The cellular process of reading the code and bringing the appropriate amino acids in sequence along the mRNA to form a protein is known as:

57) Pressure sores are most likely to occur on a patient’s:

58) A Deaver and a Richardson are types of ______ instruments.

59) The _____laser is the most commonly used laser in the operating room:

60) Who is responsible for casting a fractured extremity?

61) When a CST scrubs for a prescribed length of time, what is the method for the surgical scrub called?

62) The abbreviation t.i.d. represents:

63) The procedure performed to remove the prepuce is called:

64) Which method of anesthesia is likely to be used for a 51-year-old intoxicated man for a closed reduction and cast application of a fractured forearm?

65) The outermost layer of the tissue surrounding the kidneys that anchors the kidneys to their surrounding structures and to the abdominal wall is known as the:

66) The following are important goals when positioning a patient except:

67) Eight is what percent of 20?

68) Gram-negative bacteria have a:

69) Which of the following types of diuretics are prescribed in the treatment of glaucoma?

70) The folds of the mucosa of the small intestine, which increase the surface area for absorption of nutrients, are called:

71) Who can sign a consent form for an emergency procedure on a child if a parent cannot be located?

72) Hepatitis E is of special concern to:

73) Critical items are processed to this state for subsequent use on a patient:

74) What percentage of all surgical patients can be affected by hypothermia?

75) What is a normal range of coagulation time?

76) The needle used to instill CO2 gas is a:

77) The term “tie on a pass” means:

78) Which phase of general anesthesia includes administration of anesthetic agents?

79) All of the following are duties performed by the CST during the preoperative case management phase EXCEPT:

80) The spore-forming bacillus that produces tetanus is called:

81) Syphilis is caused by:

82) Where do sharps go after surgery?

83) Microorganisms that are facultative aerobes:

84) Which of the following microorganisms cause Lyme’s disease, typhus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever?

85) A chemical agent used to kill most microbes, including spores, that is used only on inanimate objects is a(n):

86) Which of the following are sedatives?

87) An example of an angled suction tip with a thumbhole that allows for variability in suction strength is:

88) Rongeurs are used for:

89) A perforated viscera is classified as a:

90) The curved Mayo scissor is used to cut:

91) Latex gloves should not be worn:

92) Who is responsible for discharging a patient from PACU?

93) Malleable, wire-like instruments used to explore fistulas or ducts are called:

94) A uterine sound and Kevorkian curette are found on which type of instrument tray?

95) Most of the bacteria that cause human disease exist in a pH range of:

96) The trachea is also known as the:

97) A Potts scissor is used for:

98) The paranasal sinuses that are located below the eyes and lateral to the nasal cavity are called:

99) The mitral valve is also known as the:

100) Urine is expelled from the body by a process called:

101) Oxytocin is available under which trade name?

102) When should the surgical drapes be removed?

103) If the surgeon decides to suture the peritoneum, the suture that is frequently utilized is:

104) Which dressing is used on a wound with primary closure and has little or no drainage?

105) The portion of the tooth above the level of the gums that consists of dentin covered by enamel is the:

106) The principal vein draining blood from the upper portion of the body that empties into the right atrium of the heart is called the:

107) During the cleaning process, instruments are sorted and sharp instrument tips are:

108) What does the period called “Time Out” verify?

109) All of the following are surgical procedures performed on the uterus EXCEPT:

110) The hormone that stimulates ovarian follicle growth and estrogen secretion is:

111) A dressing that draws fluids from the wound and allows for the passage of air is:

112) During this type of procedure, an endoscope is used to view a knee or a shoulder joint:

113) The key to teamwork in an operating room is:

114) The term for moving toward the midline is:

115) In a gravity displacement sterilizer, the pressure is:

116) Which group of medications is given to relieve a patient’s preoperative anxiety?

117) What should be worn in a restricted area?

118) Excessive secretion of growth hormones in adults causes:

119) The portion of the needle where the suture strand is attached is called the:

120) A substance used to inhibit the growth and reproduction of microbes that is used on living tissue is a(n):

121) What happens to the patient’s skin if the prep solution is left on?

122) Whooping cough is also known as:

123) The laser of choice for gastrointestinal endoscopy is the:

124) What does the surgical team wear during extremely high-risk procedures on infected patients?

125) During a mini–tubal ligation, the Babcock clamp is used to grasp the:

126) Which of the following glands is called the “master gland”?

127) Stimuli, such as stretching the peritoneum or retracting the eye muscles, cause which of the following physiological reactions?

128) Standard precautions apply to:

129) The strongest portion of the hip bone, which bears the weight of the body in the sitting position, is known as the:

130) A poisonous substance made by certain Gram-positive bacteria such as staphylococci is called:

131) Which of the following groups of medications causes elimination of excess fluid by preventing reabsorption of sodium and water?

132) The removal of the entire uterus, including the cervix, is called:

133) Which set of laws was passed in 1970?

134) If a patient is wearing nail polish, what will not function properly?

135) The stage of a disease characterized by the earliest, nonspecific symptoms and the appearance of a headache or malaise is called the:

136) A mass of dilated and tortuous veins in the anorectum is known as:

137) An oscillating saw moves in a:

138) The procedure that treats sinusitis or removes recurrent polyps in the maxillary sinus is called:

139) The self-retaining retractor that can be sharp or blunt is a:

140) The first menstrual period is called:

141) Which of the following is associated with syphilis?

142) Before transferring a patient from the operating room table to the stretcher, what needs to happen?

143) The excessive loss of water caused by bouts of diarrhea can lead to a serious condition known as:

144) The patient should be protected during laser surgery with:

145) Who is responsible for verifying medication on the sterile field?

146) Instruments processed in a Steris are considered sterile after storage for:

147) The hormone secreted by the alpha cells of the pancreas that stimulates the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose when blood glucose levels are extremely low is:

148) Nonsterile items and individuals may:

149) The end-product of the breakdown of amino acids is:

150) Who activates the generator for an electrosurgical unit (ESU)?

151) The space along the nerve fiber where no myelin sheath is present is known as:

152) The condition caused by excessive secretion from the adrenal cortex, resulting in puffy skin, obesity, a moon-shaped face, a buffalo hump, and masculine changes in women, is known as:

153) Diabetes mellitus results from inadequate production or use of the hormone:

154) Cells that are derived from activated T and B lymphocytes produced during an initial immune response that can quickly recognize a foreign antigen are known as:

155) The organ located directly above the stomach is the:

156) If a piece of equipment breaks, which department is called to fix it?

157) Bacterial spores are resistant to:

158) Which of the following is a common nosocomial infection?

159) The formation of the female sex cells, or eggs, is called:

160) What term describes the loss of heat from a patient’s body into the environment?

161) Which of the following viruses causes herpes?

162) _____must never be removed from the room until after the final count:

163) Resident microorganisms that are located on the skin are reduced by:

164) A lumpectomy performed for a cancerous breast tumor consists of:

165) Glands that have ducts that lead the secreted material away from the gland to the surface of a passageway or the skin and also secrete hormones are known as: