VTNE Surgical Nursing Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which suture pattern is most appropriate for closing a hollow viscus such as the intestine to create an inverting seal?
- Simple interrupted
- Lembert (Correct answer)
- Ford interlocking
- Cruciate
Correct answer: Lembert
The Lembert pattern is an inverting suture used on hollow organs like the intestine to create a watertight seal.
Question 2: A patient is recovered from anesthesia and is shivering. What is the PRIMARY concern associated with post-operative hypothermia in small animals?
- Increased metabolic oxygen demand (Correct answer)
- Hypoglycemia
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Delayed wound healing only
Correct answer: Increased metabolic oxygen demand
Shivering significantly increases oxygen consumption, placing extra demand on a patient already recovering from anesthesia.
Question 3: Which of the following is the correct sequence for donning sterile surgical gloves using the closed-glove technique?
- Gloves are applied after the gown cuffs are pulled back over the hands
- Gloves are applied before the gown, using bare hands
- Hands remain inside the gown cuffs while gloves are applied (Correct answer)
- Gloves are opened by the scrub tech and held for the surgeon
Correct answer: Hands remain inside the gown cuffs while gloves are applied
In the closed-glove technique, the hands never extend beyond the gown cuff, keeping the hands sterile as gloves are applied.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a surgical drape fenestration?
- To allow ventilation over the surgical site
- To expose only the prepared surgical site while covering surrounding areas (Correct answer)
- To provide a pocket for holding instruments
- To mark the incision line
Correct answer: To expose only the prepared surgical site while covering surrounding areas
The fenestration (opening) in a surgical drape isolates the sterile operative field from the non-sterile surrounding patient area.
Question 5: During a splenectomy, the scrub technician should be prepared to assist with ligation of which primary vessel?
- Renal artery
- Splenic artery and vein (Correct answer)
- Celiac trunk only
- Portal vein
Correct answer: Splenic artery and vein
The splenic artery and vein must be ligated and divided to remove the spleen safely during a splenectomy.
Question 6: Which instrument is specifically designed to clamp and crush tissue to facilitate intestinal resection and anastomosis?
- Doyen forceps (Correct answer)
- Backhaus towel clamp
- Carmalt forceps
- Allis tissue forceps
Correct answer: Doyen forceps
Doyen intestinal forceps are non-crushing clamps used to occlude the intestinal lumen without damaging tissue during resection and anastomosis.
Question 7: A surgical technician notices a small hole in the outer wrap of a sterile pack before opening it for surgery. What is the correct action?
- Open the pack and inspect the contents for contamination
- Use the pack if the inner wrap is intact
- Consider the pack non-sterile and obtain a new one (Correct answer)
- Re-sterilize the outer wrap with alcohol
Correct answer: Consider the pack non-sterile and obtain a new one
Any breach in sterile packaging compromises the sterility of the contents, and the pack must be considered contaminated.
