CRCST practice test: Patient Care Equipment and Distribution

10 questions · about 12 minutes. Pick an answer to see whether you’re right and why.

1. Question 1 of 10What is a case cart system?

   A.A cart that holds only soiled instrumentsB.All supplies and instruments for one scheduled procedure are assembled on a single cartC.A cart exchanged on a fixed schedule for every unitD.A cart used to deliver linens
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   Answer: B. All supplies and instruments for one scheduled procedure are assembled on a single cart

   Case carts are prepared from a pick list (preference card) for each procedure, then returned to decontamination after the case.

2. Question 2 of 10What is an exchange cart system?

   A.A used supply cart is swapped for an identical, fully stocked cart on a scheduleB.Carts are borrowed from another facilityC.Each item is ordered one at a time by phoneD.Instruments are exchanged between surgeons
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   Answer: A. A used supply cart is swapped for an identical, fully stocked cart on a schedule

   With exchange carts, the department restocks one cart while the unit uses the other, then swaps them at set times.

3. Question 3 of 10A loaner instrument set arrives from a vendor marked as sterilized by the vendor. What should the department do?

   A.Send it straight to the OR because it is already sterileB.Store it in sterile storage as receivedC.Sterilize it without cleaning to save timeD.Inventory, decontaminate, inspect, package and sterilize it according to the IFU before use
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   Answer: D. Inventory, decontaminate, inspect, package and sterilize it according to the IFU before use

   The facility cannot verify how a loaner was processed elsewhere, so it is treated as contaminated and processed in-house from the start. Loaners should arrive early enough for this.

4. Question 4 of 10Why is a flexible endoscope leak-tested before it is immersed in cleaning solution?

   A.To measure how clean the channels areB.To sterilize the scopeC.To find damage to the channels or outer sheath before fluid gets inside and causes more damageD.To check the light source
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   Answer: C. To find damage to the channels or outer sheath before fluid gets inside and causes more damage

   A leak lets fluid invade the scope’s interior, damaging it and making it impossible to reprocess. Leak testing comes after pre-cleaning and before immersion.

5. Question 5 of 10Why must flexible endoscopes be dried thoroughly before storage?

   A.Wet scopes are too heavy to hangB.Residual moisture supports microbial growth and biofilmC.Drying sterilizes the scopeD.Moisture changes the scope’s color
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   Answer: B. Residual moisture supports microbial growth and biofilm

   Drying the channels (often with filtered forced air) and storing scopes so they stay dry reduces the risk of recontamination.

6. Question 6 of 10Under the Spaulding classification, a blood pressure cuff is which type of item?

   A.NoncriticalB.CriticalC.SemicriticalD.Implantable
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   Answer: A. Noncritical

   Blood pressure cuffs contact intact skin only, so CDC lists them as noncritical items needing low-level disinfection.

7. Question 7 of 10Respiratory therapy equipment that contacts mucous membranes needs at least which level of reprocessing?

   A.Low-level disinfectionB.Cleaning onlyC.None if used on one patientD.High-level disinfection
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   Answer: D. High-level disinfection

   CDC lists respiratory therapy and anesthesia equipment as semicritical items, which require at least high-level disinfection.

8. Question 8 of 10An infusion pump is returned from a patient room. What must happen before it goes back into service?

   A.It goes straight back to the clean storage areaB.It is wiped with water onlyC.It is cleaned and disinfected according to the manufacturer’s IFU, inspected and marked as ready for useD.It is sterilized in a steam sterilizer
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   Answer: C. It is cleaned and disinfected according to the manufacturer’s IFU, inspected and marked as ready for use

   Patient care equipment is processed per its IFU (usually cleaning and low-level disinfection for noncritical items), checked for function and tagged so staff know it is clean.

9. Question 9 of 10Why should a tracking system record every step an item goes through, not just sterilization?

   A.Only sterilization matters for patient safetyB.A failure at any step can compromise the item, so the whole chain must be traceableC.It is needed only for billingD.It replaces the need for count sheets
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   Answer: B. A failure at any step can compromise the item, so the whole chain must be traceable

   Recording decontamination, assembly, sterilization, storage and distribution supports accountability and makes recalls precise.

10. Question 10 of 10How should soiled patient care equipment travel back to the department?

    A.Separately from clean equipment, through the soiled routeB.On the same cart as clean equipmentC.Through sterile storageD.Carried through the clean work area for inspection first
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    Answer: A. Separately from clean equipment, through the soiled route

    Clean and soiled items are kept apart in transport and workflow to prevent cross-contamination, the same one-way principle used for instruments.