Sterile Storage, Transport and Inventory Management is 9% of the scored CRCST exam. Answer 10 exam style questions on case carts and distribution and see exactly which concepts would cost you points on test day.
Start the 10 questions →In a case cart system, what determines which instruments and supplies are placed on the cart for a scheduled procedure?
These questions cover case cart system, pick lists, preference cards, exchange cart system and requisition system. Each one shows the correct answer and why every other option is wrong, so a miss tells you exactly what to review before the CRCST.
Prefer to read first? Every question from the practice set above, with the correct answer and why each wrong option is wrong.
Answer: A. A case cart is built for one specific procedure. The surgeon's preference card lists the instruments, supplies, and equipment needed, and it generates the pick list SPD uses to assemble the cart.
Why not B: Availability does not define what the procedure needs. Missing items must be resolved before the case.
Why not C: Procedures and surgeons have different needs, so carts are not identical for every case.
Why not D: PAR levels manage general stock. Case carts are built per procedure.
Exam tactic: Preference card makes the pick list; the pick list builds the cart.
Answer: C. The OR must know when a cart is incomplete so staff can plan, approve a substitute, or wait for the item. Documenting the missing item and communicating it prevents surprises when the case begins.
Why not A: Sending an incomplete cart without notice leaves the OR unprepared.
Why not B: An unapproved substitute can mean the wrong instruments for the procedure.
Why not D: Holding the whole cart delays room setup. The OR should decide how to proceed.
Exam tactic: Missing item? Tell the OR before they find out.
Answer: C. Preference card content reflects the surgeon's needs and is updated through the OR under the facility's process. SPD reports the repeated requests, and once the card is updated, future pick lists include the item.
Why not A: SPD should report the pattern, not change a surgeon's card on its own.
Why not B: The buyer manages purchasing, not the clinical content of preference cards.
Why not D: Vendors do not control a facility's preference cards.
Exam tactic: SPD reports the gap; the OR owns the card.
Answer: B. In an exchange cart system, two identical carts rotate. A fully stocked cart is delivered to the unit, and the used cart is brought back to SPD or central supply to be restocked to PAR.
Why not A: Ordering item by item describes a requisition system.
Why not C: Refilling in place by unit staff is not an exchange system, which swaps whole carts.
Why not D: Exchange carts follow a set schedule, not individual admissions.
Exam tactic: Exchange cart = swap the whole cart, restock the empty one.
Answer: A. In a requisition system, the user department requests specific items and quantities, on paper or electronically, and SPD fills that order. The department decides what it needs.
Why not B: An exchange cart system swaps prestocked carts on a schedule instead of filling custom lists.
Why not C: Case carts are built per surgical procedure from preference cards.
Why not D: Consignment refers to vendor owned stock, not to how supplies reach a department.
Exam tactic: Requisition = the unit tells you what it wants.
Answer: C. Clean or sterile items and soiled items are transported separately. Soiled items go in closed, labeled containers on carts designated for soiled transport, so clean supplies are not contaminated.
Why not A: There is no rule to empty carts before using an elevator.
Why not B: Weighing carts has nothing to do with preventing cross-contamination.
Why not D: Carrying soiled instruments by hand increases exposure risk and is not the safe alternative.
Exam tactic: Clean rides with clean. Dirty rides alone.
Answer: B. Carts that carried soiled items are cleaned and disinfected, manually or in a cart washer, and dried before reuse for clean or sterile items. A wet cart transfers moisture to packages.
Why not A: Wiping only the handles leaves contaminated shelves and surfaces.
Why not C: Covering a dirty cart does not remove contamination underneath.
Why not D: Airing out does not clean or disinfect anything.
Exam tactic: Dirty cart in, clean dry cart out.
Answer: D. A stat request means immediate need. The technician confirms the exact item, checks package integrity, delivers it right away in a protective manner, and documents the delivery.
Why not A: Waiting for a scheduled round ignores the urgency of a stat request.
Why not B: Shifting the job to the OR delays care when SPD is responsible for delivery.
Why not C: Batching delays an urgent item to save trips.
Exam tactic: Stat = now, not next round.
Answer: D. Delivery confirmation creates a record of what was delivered, to whom, where, and when. This supports accountability, resolves missing item questions, and helps trace items during recalls.
Why not A: A signature or scan says nothing about sterility.
Why not B: Inspection is still required. Confirmation is only a record of handoff.
Why not C: Labels are still required for contents and lot information.
Exam tactic: Delivered = documented.
Answer: C. The cart is checked against the pick list for correct items and quantities, and each package is inspected for integrity before it leaves. Errors caught in SPD prevent delays and safety issues in the OR.
Why not A: Closed doors protect the cart, but they do not confirm that the contents are correct.
Why not B: Weight is not the verification step for a case cart.
Why not D: Scheduled carts are sent per the OR schedule. A call is not the check.
Exam tactic: Check the list, check the packs, then close the cart.
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