Question

When draping for a laparotomy, which of the following is NOT an accepted practice?

a) use sterile towels to outline the prepared surgical site
b) the fenestration is placed above the prepped surgical site
c) drape from the edges of the table toward the surgical site
c) protect the sterile gloves of scrubbed team members by keeping them under the cuff of the folded laparotomy student

Answer 1

The incorrect practice when draping for a laparotomy is to drape from the edges of the table toward the surgical site, as this is not an accepted practice due to the risk of contaminating the sterile field.

Step-by-step explanation:

When draping for a laparotomy, an accepted practice is to use sterile towels to outline the prepared surgical site and to place the fenestration above the prepped area. However, draping from the edges of the table toward the surgical site is not accepted practice. It is essential to drape from the sterile field towards the periphery to maintain the sterility of the surgical site.

Moreover, the statement regarding protecting sterile gloves by keeping them under the cuff of the folded laparotomy drape is unclear and not a standard practice. Instead, the focus should be on avoiding contamination of the gloves during the draping process and maintaining aseptic technique throughout the procedure.