Standard precautions for used instruments

CRCST practice question · Departmental Considerations

Under standard precautions, how should sterile processing staff treat used instruments returned from surgery?

  • A. As potentially infectious, regardless of the patient's known diagnosis
  • B. As infectious only when the patient had a documented infection
  • C. As clean if no visible blood is present
  • D. As infectious only if they came from an isolation room

Answer

A. As potentially infectious, regardless of the patient's known diagnosis

Standard precautions assume that blood and body fluids from every patient may be infectious, so all used items are handled the same way. Waiting for a diagnosis or visible blood would miss many unrecognized infections.

Ready for the full CRCST question bank?

Unlock every question, full-length timed mock exams and topic-by-topic progress tracking.

See plans