During a minor surgical procedure, the provider has just completed the incision and requests a retractor. Prior to handing the provider the instrument, which of the following is the most critical action the medical assistant should perform?
Wipe the instrument with an antiseptic solution to ensure it is clean.
Ensure the instrument is handed to the provider with the tip pointed downwards.
Check that the instrument's packaging has a color change indicating it has been appropriately sterilized.
Confirm that the retractor is the correct size requested by the provider.
Ensuring proper sterilization of surgical instruments is crucial in preventing postoperative infections and maintaining a sterile field. Therefore, the medical assistant must verify that the instrument is indeed sterile before passing it to the provider. This is routinely confirmed by checking that the sterile indicator on the packaging has changed color, indicating that the instrument has been properly sterilized. Other options, although they may be important parts of surgical assisting, are not directly related to the critical step of confirming instrument sterility before the instrument is handed to the provider.
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AAMA CMA
Clinical Competency
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