Final answer:
The claim that sterile technique is only necessary if a dressing isn't contaminated is false; sterile technique should always be used to prevent sepsis and maintain a sterile field during dressing changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that sterile technique must be used during a dressing change only if the dressing is not contaminated is false. Sterile technique should always be utilized when changing a dressing, regardless of the dressing's contamination status. The purpose of using sterile technique is to create and maintain a sterile field, preventing possible infection by keeping the area free of all vegetative microbes, endospores, and viruses. Procedures which maintain sterility are essential in preventing sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur when an infection enters the bloodstream and leads to systemic inflammation.
Medical items are categorized based on their required level of sterility, with critical items requiring complete sterilization as they are used inside the body and often penetrate sterile tissues or the bloodstream. This categorization is crucial in making decisions regarding the cleanliness protocols for medical items, drawing a distinction between critical, semicritical, and noncritical items.