Which of the following is an intraoperative task assigned to the CST?

Maintaining sterility is an essential intraoperative task assigned to the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST). During surgical procedures, it is crucial to prevent infections and ensure a safe environment for both the patient and the surgical team. The CST plays a vital role in upholding sterile techniques by managing instruments, draping the surgical area, and ensuring that all materials used in the procedure are sterile.

In contrast, taking patient history, post-operative care, and scheduling surgeries are tasks that fall outside the intraoperative realm. Taking patient history is generally handled in the preoperative phase of care, where gathering important medical history helps inform the surgical plan. Post-operative care, which involves monitoring and caring for the patient after surgery, is part of the recovery process and is not conducted during the actual procedure. Scheduling surgeries is an administrative task typically performed by administrative staff or surgical coordinators and does not occur during the surgery itself. Thus, maintaining sterility distinctly aligns with the responsibilities of a CST during the surgical operation.