Surgical Tech Practice Exam

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Prepare for the Surgical Tech Exam with comprehensive quizzes and detailed explanations. Enhance your knowledge and skills to confidently tackle the surgical technology certification.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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What term describes the state of being free from all microorganisms, including spores?

Aseptic
Sterile
Contaminated
Disinfected

The correct answer is: Sterile

The term that describes the state of being free from all microorganisms, including spores, is indeed sterile. Sterility indicates the complete absence of viable microorganisms, which is critical in surgical settings and other healthcare environments where preventing infection is paramount. Aseptic technique, while related, refers more to procedures and practices designed to create and maintain a sterile environment rather than the state of being sterile itself. Contaminated would indicate the presence of microorganisms, and disinfected refers to surfaces or instruments that have been cleaned to reduce harmful pathogens but may still harbor some microorganisms. Thus, sterile is the precise term that conveys total microbial absence.