Final answer:
Unscrubbed personnel should maintain a distance of at least 12 inches (30 centimeters) from the sterile field to prevent contamination, adhering to guidelines by the Association of Surgical Technologists.
Step-by-step explanation:
The minimum distance that unscrubbed personnel should remain from the sterile field is generally recommended to be at least 12 inches, or about 30 centimeters. This distance helps in preventing contamination of the sterile area, which is crucial for maintaining aseptic technique during medical procedures.
Contamination of the sterile field can lead to sepsis, which is an extreme response by the body to an infection. Unscrubbed personnel, who have not gone through the process of surgical scrubbing to reduce their skin's normal microbiota, pose a risk for introducing potential pathogens into the sterile environment. The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) provides guidelines on maintaining a sterile field, which is essential to prevent the transfer of subclinical disease, as well as vegetative microbes, endospores, and viruses, thereby ensuring patient safety during various invasive procedures and surgeries.