When may a specimen be passed to the circulator?

A specimen may be passed to the circulator when the surgeon grants permission. This practice is critical in maintaining communications and ensuring that the surgical team is coordinated. The surgeon is ultimately responsible for the operative procedure, and their permission indicates that the appropriate moment has arrived for the specimen to be transferred, ensuring that the team's actions align with the surgical flow and maintain patient safety.

Timing is crucial in the operating room, and the surgeon's instructions serve as the definitive guide for when actions such as passing a specimen can occur. This helps avoid potential contamination or confusion during the procedure, ensuring that the specimen is handled correctly at the appropriate stage of the operation.

While factors such as anesthesia administration, patient stability, and signals from the scrub nurse are important in the general context of the surgical procedure, they do not dictate the specific action of passing a specimen to the circulator, which is explicitly governed by the surgeon's discretion.