Final answer:
The statement is true; only sterile items should come in contact with the inside of a sterile package to maintain sterility and prevent contamination.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that only sterile items may touch the inside of a sterile package is true. This is a principle of aseptic technique, which is crucial in medical settings to prevent contamination and infection. When an item is sterile, it is free of all microorganisms. The integrity of this sterility is maintained by ensuring that only other sterile items come in contact with it. This prevents the introduction of potential pathogens into sterile environments, such as operating rooms or when handling critical medical devices that will be used inside the body.
Medical items categorized as critical devices, such as surgical instruments and catheters, must always be kept sterile as they penetrate sterile tissues or the bloodstream. Other items, like those which come in contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin but do not penetrate the tissues (semicritical), or those that only touch intact skin (noncritical), require varying levels of cleanliness but not necessarily sterility. The appropriate level of sterilization or disinfection is determined by the potential risk of infection associated with the use of the medical item.