California Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) Written Practice Exam

What is the main purpose of surgical hand antisepsis?

1. To improve the surgeon's grip

2. To reduce the chance for contamination of the patient if the glove become punctured or torn

3. To sterilize the hands completely

4. To warm up the hands before surgery

The correct answer is: To reduce the chance for contamination of the patient if the glove become punctured or torn

Surgical hand antisepsis is a crucial step before any surgical procedure to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria to the patient. Option A, to improve the surgeon's grip, is incorrect because surgical hand antisepsis mainly aims to reduce the transmission of harmful bacteria, not for the convenience of the surgeon. Option C, to sterilize the hands completely, is also incorrect because it is nearly impossible to achieve complete sterilization without using harsh chemicals that may be harmful to the patient. Option D, to warm up the hands before surgery, is also incorrect because the main purpose of surgical hand antisepsis is to reduce the transfer of harmful bacteria, not to simply warm up the hands. Therefore, option B, to reduce the chance for contamination of the patient if the glove becomes punctured or torn, is the most accurate and essential purpose for surgical hand antisepsis.