CREATING A STERILE FIELD

Prof.Rosamma Joseph
T JOHN COLLEGE OF NURSING
STERILE TECHNIQUE

• Sterile technique is a set of specific practices and procedures

performed to make equipment and areas free from all
microorganisms and to maintain that sterility (BC Centre for
Disease Control, 2010).
sterile field 
•  A sterile field is a sterile surface on which to place sterile
equipment that is considered free from microorganisms (Perry
et al., 2014).
• A sterile field is required for all invasive procedures to prevent
the transfer of microorganisms and reduce the potential for
surgical site infections.
• Sterile fields can be created in the OR using drapes, or at the
bedside using a prepackaged set of supplies for a sterile
procedure or wound care.
• Many sterile kits contain a waterproof inner drape that can be set up as
part of the sterile field. 
• Sterile items can be linen wrapped or paper wrapped, depending on
whether they are single- or multi-use.
• Commercially prepared items are wrapped in plastic, paper or glass.
Creating a sterile field
• Open the package containing the drape.
• With one hand, pluck the corner of the drape
that is folded back on the top.
• Lift the drape out of the cover, and allow it to
open freely without touching any articles.
• Discard the cover.
• With the other hand, carefully pick up another corner of the drape, holding it well
away from you.
• Lay the drape on a clean and dry surface, placing the freely hanging side farthest
from you.
• Add the sterile supplies.
Opening a sterile package
• Ensure that package is clean and dry ;
discard if moisture is noticed on the inside
of plastic-wrapped package.
• Check the sterilization expiration dates on
the package.
• Check for any indications that it was
previously opened.
• Reaching around the package, pinch the
outside of the first flap using thumb and
index finger, pull the flap open
Adding a commercially packaged supply to a
sterile field
• If the package has a partially sealed
edge, grasp both sides of the edge,
one with each hand, and pull them
apart gently.
• Hold the package at a height of
15cm from the sterile field and allow
the contents to drop on to the sterile
field.

http://nursing411.org/Courses/MD0540_Sterile_Procedures/3-06_Sterile_Procedures.html
OPENING AND POURING STERILE LIQUIDS
• Lift or unscrew the cap. Do not touch bottle rim and inside cap,
as these items are considered sterile.
• As you remove the cap, listen for a vacuum release sound. If
there is no vacuum release sound, assume that the liquid is not
sterile and get another bottle of the liquid to use instead.
•  b. Hold the cap in your hand or rest the
cap upside down on table (not on sterile
field since the outside of the cap is
contaminated) so that the inside of the
cap does not become contaminated.
•  Hold the bottle at a slight angle, about
10-15cm above the container into which
the liquid is being poured and to the side
of the sterile field.
• pour the liquid slowly in a steady stream
into the sterile container. Pouring slowly
in a steady stream avoids splashing.
• Do not touch the bottle lip against the container. If the lip of the
bottle touches the container, the container will not be sterile. 
• Do not allow the bottle to pass over the sterile field. If the bottle
passes over any part of the sterile field, then that part of the
field is considered contaminated, because a microscopic
organism could have fallen from the bottle or your hand onto the
field.
• If the bottle has to be reused again, replace the cap
immediately and write on the label the date and time of opening.
Adding sterile supplies using sterile forceps
• Use sterile forceps to handle sterile supplies.
• Forceps may be disposable or resterilized
after use.
• Commonly used forceps include hemostats,
tissue forceps and Cheatle forceps.
• Keep the tips of forceps lower than the wrist
all times.
• Be sure that the forceps do not touch the
edges or outside of the wrapper.