Sterile Procedures

LESSON 3: Surgical Asepsis and Sterile Technique

3-4

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3-4. ADDING STERILE OBJECTS TO A STERILE FIELD

Once the sterile field has been established, you may need to place other objects inside the sterile field. Follow these steps to add sterile items to a sterile field without contaminating the object or the field. The area within one inch of the edge of the wrapper is considered to be contaminated. A sterile article that touches this area is contaminated and should be discarded.

a. Hold the sterile package in one hand with the flaps up. This is done away from the sterile field.

b. Grasp the outside edges of the sterile wrapper with your free hand. This protects the sterility of package contents.

c. Unwrap the sterile package (figure 3-6). Be careful not to contaminate the inside of the wrapper or the sterile object.

Figure 3-6. Open sterile package.

d. Hold edges of sterile wrapper back around your wrist (figure 3-7) so they will not accidentally drag across sterile field and so the hand supporting the sterile object is enclosed by the wrapper.

Figure 3-7. Hand enclosed by wrapper.

e. Drop small sterile items directly into the sterile field.

f. Place large items on the field using sterile gloves or sterile transfer forceps.

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