Sterile Technique

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Questions and Answers

What should be the position of sterile items to maintain their sterility?

At the bedside

On the floor

Above the level of the waist (correct)

At the level of the knees

Which of the following practices is essential for maintaining surgical asepsis?

Touching sterile surfaces with bare hands

Wearing non-sterile gloves

Keeping sterile items out of the field of vision

Practicing hand hygiene (correct)

What is true about the 1 inch outer edge of a sterile field?

It is considered unsterile. (correct)

It is considered sterile.

It can be touched without concern.

It should be marked with a sterile drape.

What happens to sterile items when they contact moisture?

They become unsterile. Signup and view all the answers

When handling sterile solutions, what is the correct procedure?

Avoid splashing to keep the area sterile. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following dressing materials is used specifically for cleansing wounds?

2 x 2 inch gauze Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct way to hold forceps to prevent contamination?

Hold with tips facing down Signup and view all the answers

Which item should not be used to touch sterile surfaces?

Hands Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between medical asepsis and surgical asepsis?

Medical asepsis is used in everyday situations, whereas surgical asepsis is for invasive procedures. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following steps is NOT part of a sterile gloving technique?

Touching the inside of the glove to adjust it. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a sterile field in a medical setting?

To prevent infection during surgical and invasive procedures. Signup and view all the answers

When handling sterile solutions, which is an appropriate practice?

Ensuring that the bottle is labeled correctly and pouring slowly. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an essential principle of wound management in sterile technique?

Using sterile instruments to handle all dressing materials. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'asepsis' mean?

The absence of living organisms. Signup and view all the answers

Which area is suitable for implementing sterile technique?

Operating rooms and labor delivery rooms. Signup and view all the answers

What action is necessary when setting up a sterile field?

Ensuring that the area is clean and free of unwanted items. Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct procedure for opening a sterile tray?

Open away from you, toward the sides, or toward you. Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the sterile drape can be touched without causing contamination?

The outer 1 inch border. Signup and view all the answers

What should be done when pouring from a sterile container?

Pour slowly to avoid splashing. Signup and view all the answers

When preparing the sterile field, what is the recommended action regarding the drape once it is placed on the table?

Leave it and do not touch it again. Signup and view all the answers

When opening the inner wrapper of a glove package, what is essential to remember?

The outer layer must remain sterile. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary guideline for handling dressing materials?

Open the package while touching only the outer 1 inch border. Signup and view all the answers

When pouring a sterile solution, what should be done with the cap once it is removed?

Set it down with the inside facing up on a non-sterile surface. Signup and view all the answers

Which technique is critical when applying the second glove during the sterile gloving process?

Keep the thumb of the first hand abducted. Signup and view all the answers

What must be done with a sterile container after using it for cleansing solutions?

Keep it off the sterile field after use. Signup and view all the answers

What is the recommended action when dressing materials are being opened?

Open the package while only touching the outer 1 inch border. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Medical and Surgical Asepsis

Medical Asepsis is used to limit the number, growth, and transmission of microorganisms. This is also known as clean technique.
Surgical Asepsis keeps an area or object free of all microorganisms. This is also known as a sterile technique.

Examples of Where Sterile Technique is Used

General Care Areas (Patient’s Bedside):
- Invasive procedures that break the skin's integrity: inserting IVs/PICC lines, medication preparation, and injections.
- Procedures involving insertion of catheters (tubes) into sterile body cavities: suctioning tracheostomy, urinary catheter insertion.
- Skin broken due to surgery or burns: sterile dressing changes
Operating Room (OR), Labor & Delivery, Major Diagnostic Procedure Areas (Catheterization Lab):
- Requires a very precise, specific procedure and protocol.
- Scrubbing, gowning, and gloving are necessary.

Sterile Field

A sterile field is an area considered free of all microorganisms.
This area is prepared and used by nurses for procedures that require sterile technique and only contains sterile items.

Principles of Surgical Asepsis

All objects used on a sterile field must be sterile. Sterile objects become unsterile when touched by unsterile objects.
Only sterile objects can touch other sterile objects.
Sterile items must remain above the level of the waist or table.
Keep sterile items within the field of vision.
Sterile items can become unsterile by prolonged exposure to airborne microorganisms.
Fluids flow in the direction of gravity.
Sterile items are contaminated by contact with moisture.
1” outer edge of field is considered contaminated (unsterile).
Cannot reach or cross over a sterile field.
Skin cannot be sterilized. Hand hygiene and use of sterile gloves are essential.
Essential qualities to maintain asepsis: Be honest, alert, and conscientious.

Requirements for Sterile Fields

Clean and dry surface
Work surface at waist level
Adequate size work area
Sterile equipment
Know the "sterile" areas of the nurse: the front of the nurse, above waist level.

Equipment for Sterile Field & Dressing Change

Sterile tray or sterile field tray, towel, glove wrapper, drape
Dressing materials: 2 x 2” gauze, 4x4’ gauze, Abdominal Pad (ABD)
Instruments: scissors, forceps, hemostat
Solutions + container: Saline (Normal Sterile Saline = 0.9% sodium chloride)

Skin Cannot Be Sterilized

Do not touch a sterile surface with a hand.
Use sterile gloves.

Sterile Drape: Outer 1” Border Considered Unsterile

The outer 1" border of the drape is considered unsterile even though the inner part of the package is sterile.

Sterile Field Setup

The sterile field should be set up on a clean, dry, overbed table with the sterile field positioned above the waist level.

Sterile Gloving

Use sterile gloves to ensure that you aren't contaminating a sterile field with your hands.
When applying the sterile gloves, you need to ensure that you avoid touching the outer 1" border of the glove packet.
You also need to ensure that you don't touch the inside of the glove or the wrapper of the second glove.
When applying the second glove, keep the thumb of your first hand abducted to prevent contamination.

Holding Instruments

When holding forceps, keep the tips below the handle to prevent contamination.

Gauze Sizes

2x2 gauze is used to cleanse wounds.
4x4 gauze is used to absorb drainage.

ABD Pads

ABD Pads provide coverage of a wound.

Unit Outcomes

Differentiate between medical and surgical asepsis.
Identify principles of sterile technique.
Demonstrate procedures using sterile technique: sterile field setup and addition of supplies, sterile gloving.
Demonstrate the ability to change a sterile dressing using principles of sterile technique.
Explain principles of wound management.

Terminology

Sepsis: A state of infection.
Asepsis: A state without infection.
Sterile: Free from living organisms.

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