NPLEX II Minor Surgery Practice Test

What is the maximum time to use the cutting electrode for incision with electrocautery (hyfrecation)?

Five Seconds Ten Seconds Fifteen Seconds Two Seconds

Correct Answer:

Five Seconds

Explanation:

In electrosurgical cutting, controlling how long the electrode stays in contact with tissue is crucial to limit heat spread and tissue damage. The cutting electrode should be applied only briefly so the tissue is incised cleanly without excessive thermal injury to surrounding structures. About five seconds is the maximum recommended exposure for a single incision. Keeping it to this short time helps prevent carbonization and deep thermal damage, which can impair healing and obscure the incision margins. If more length is needed, you stop, lift, and reposition for additional passes rather than sustaining contact longer than necessary. Longer contact can cause charring, wider zones of necrosis, and poorer wound healing, which is why a five-second limit is preferred.

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