What is the first step in the medical assistant's procedures during a surgical case?

• A. Identify the patient using the office protocol.
• B. Explain the procedure to the patient in detail.
• C. Apply sterile gloves to the patient.
• D. Prepare the sterile field before patient arrival.

Answer: (A)

Confirming the patient’s identity using the office protocol is the first step because safety hinges on treating the right person for the correct procedure. Verifying who the patient is, along with matching the chart, consent status, allergies, and planned procedure, prevents wrong-patient or wrong-site errors that can have serious consequences in surgery.

Once identity is verified, other preoperative tasks follow in appropriate order, such as discussing or reiterating the plan with the patient and obtaining consent if needed, then moving on to sterile technique and setup. Sterile gloves and preparing the sterile field are crucial, but they come after confirming who is undergoing the procedure and that all preop information is correct. Preparing the sterile field before the patient arrives isn’t appropriate as a first step because the patient’s presence and the exact plan must be verified first.