Final answer:
To add new sterile items to a sterile field during a dressing change, they must be handled with sterile forceps or hands covered in sterile gloves to maintain the aseptic environment and prevent contamination.
Step-by-step explanation:
In medical settings, procedures with a risk for contamination must be carried out in a sterile field using proper aseptic technique to prevent the introduction of infections such as sepsis. When a nurse is performing a sterile dressing change and needs to add new items or supplies to the sterile field, this must be done with care to maintain sterility.
The correct way to add new sterile items to a sterile field is A) With sterile forceps or hands wearing sterile gloves. This method ensures that the sterility of the field is not compromised. Clean hands or gloves, even if they are covered in clean latex gloves, are not considered sterile and therefore would not be suitable for handling items within a sterile field. Sterile forceps that are designed for this purpose, or hands that are covered in sterile gloves, ensure that no contaminants are introduced to the sterile environment, which could potentially cause an infection.
Medical items that require sterilization are those that may penetrate sterile tissues, contact mucous membranes, or enter the bloodstream. Some examples of such items include surgical instruments and catheters.