Mrs. Jones will have to change the dressing on her injured right leg twice a day. The dressing will be a sterile dressing, using 4 X 4s, normal saline irrigant, and abdominal pads. Which statement best indicates that Mrs. Jones understands the importance of maintaining asepsis?
A. “If I drop the 4 X 4s on the floor, I can use them as long as they are not soiled.”
B. “If I drop the 4 X 4s on the floor, I can use them if I rinse them with sterile normal saline.”
C. “If I question the sterility of any dressing material, I should not use it.”
D. “I should put on my sterile gloves, then open the bottle of saline to soak the 4 X 4s.”
Correct Answer: C. “If I question the sterility of any dressing material, I should not use it.”
If there is ever any doubt about the sterility of an instrument or dressing, it should not be used. Sterile technique is essential to help prevent surgical site infections (SSI), an unintended and oftentimes preventable complication arising from surgery. SSI is defined as an “infection that occurs after surgery in the area of surgery” (CDC, 2010, p. 2).
Option A: Anything dropped on the floor is no longer sterile and should not be used. The statement indicates lack of understanding. Preventing and reducing SSI are the most important reasons for using sterile technique during invasive procedures and surgeries.
Option B: The 4 X 4s should be soaked prior to donning the sterile gloves. Normal saline would not keep the gauze sterile after being dropped on the floor. The client would need to replace the unsterile gauze with a new, sterile pack.
Option D: Once the sterile gloves touch the bottle of normal saline they are no longer sterile. This statement indicates a need for further instruction. Sterile objects must only be touched by sterile equipment or sterile gloves.