Question

When applying sterile drapes to create the sterile field on the patient,which of the following principles is most important?

A) The circulating nurse should monitor the scrub person's gowned arms when reaching over the unsterile parts of the patient.
B) Gently shake and fan out the drapes to open up the folds before approaching the patient.
C) Drape the patient starting with the incision area and proceeding to the periphery.
D) All of the options reflect violations of sterile technique.

Answer 1

The primary purpose of draping the surgical patient is to isolate the surgical site from the other areas of the patient’s body and nonsterile areas of the OR table in order to contribute to reducing the risk of surgical site infection (SSI). According to the information I found, option C) Drape the patient starting with the incision area and proceeding to the periphery seems to be most consistent with this principle. However, it’s important to note that all members of the surgical team should adhere to sterile technique and aseptic principles to reduce the risk of microbial transmission to patients during surgery.