AST Surgical Technologist Practice Exam

A properly performed surgical scrub renders the skin:

1. Completely sterile

2. Disinfected

3. Antiseptically clean

4. Surgically clean

The correct answer is: Surgically clean

A properly performed surgical scrub achieves a state referred to as "surgically clean." This term indicates that the skin has been thoroughly cleaned and prepared for surgery by reducing the number of microorganisms present on the skin's surface. The process involves using antiseptic solutions that significantly decrease the microbial load to minimize the risk of infection during surgical procedures. While "completely sterile" would imply the absence of all microorganisms, this is typically not achievable with skin, as the skin is a living ecosystem. The surgical scrub does not create a sterile environment on the skin but instead leads to an antiseptic quality that is deemed sufficient for surgical procedures. "Disinfected" usually refers to the process applied to inanimate objects or surfaces, not living tissue, and "antiseptically clean" is a phrase that might imply a higher standard of cleanliness than is typically understood in the context of hand or surgical scrubbing. In summary, "surgically clean" accurately describes the results of a proper surgical scrub as it reflects the effective reduction of microbial presence, preparing the skin appropriately for surgery while acknowledging the limitations of achieving total sterility on a living surface.