d. Nonstandard Items. Commercial items that have military application, but
have not been approved for issue through the regular supply system.
e. Disposable Items. Commercially prepacked, usually presterilized items,
intended for one-time use. These items may be standard or nonstandard.
1-16. TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH SURGERY
Many items that are prepared and processed by the CMS are used in surgery.
As an OR specialist, you should become familiar with the following surgical terms:
a. Suture (verb). Suturing is the act of sewing by bringing tissues (skin)
together and holding them until healing has taken place.
b. Suture (noun). A suture is any strand of material used to sew tissue
together. Suturing material must be sterile.
c. Ligature. A ligature is a strand of suture material used to "tie off" (seal) blood
d. Surgical Needles. Surgical needles are straight or curved needles used to
safely carry suture material through tissue with the least amount of effort and with the
least amount of tissue damage. Needles must also be sterile.
e. Positioning. This is placing the patient in the proper position for surgery in
the OR. Positioning is discussed in detail in Subcourse MD0927.
f. Draping. Draping is the procedure of covering the patient and surrounding
areas with a sterile barrier to create and maintain an adequate sterile field. Draping is
discussed in detail in Subcourse MD0933. Draping materials must be sterilized.
g. Preparation (prep). This term stands for skin preparation to render the
operative area on a patient as free as possible from micro- organisms. This preparation
will also be discussed in detail in another subcourse. All the items used for skin
preparation must be sterile and are prepared by the CMS.
Section IV. PRINCIPLES OF STERILE TECHNIQUE
1-17. SURGICAL CONSCIENCE
a. An object is considered sterile only when it is completely free of all living
microorganisms. One of the most important jobs of the CMS is to provide sterile items
to all parts of the hospital. The primary concern of all hospital areas is the care of the
patient. When unsterile materials are used in the operating room or other departments
of the hospital, the patient may be harmed.
MD0937
1-14