What it means
In the operating room, CST is the credential earned by a surgical technologistSUR-jih-kul tek-NOL-uh-jistA member of the operating room team who prepares the sterile field and instruments and hands them to the surgeon.Full entry who passes the national certification exam of the NBSTSA. In maternity care, a CST is a contraction stress test: the fetal heart rate is watched during contractions brought on by oxytocin or nipple stimulation to see how the baby tolerates them; a negative test, with no late decelerations, is reassuring.
For the nurse
Read CST in context, since the two meanings are unrelated.
Related terms
oxytocin
A hormone that makes the uterus contract and releases breast milk; also given by IV to start or strengthen labor and control bleeding after birth.
nonstress test
A prenatal test that records the fetal heart rate for about 20 to 40 minutes to see how it changes when the baby moves.
surgical technologist
A member of the operating room team who prepares the sterile field and instruments and hands them to the surgeon.