In terms of sterile technique, what should you avoid doing when placing items on a sterile field?

The principle of maintaining a sterile field is crucial in any medical or surgical setting to prevent infections. One key guideline is to avoid directly touching sterile items with bare hands. Sterile items should only be handled with sterile gloves or using sterile forceps. This is essential because any contact with non-sterile surfaces or skin can introduce bacteria and compromise the sterility of the items.

Choosing to touch sterile items with bare hands risks contamination, which can lead to infections post-procedure. For maintaining the integrity of the sterile field, proper handling techniques are essential, reinforcing the need for appropriate barrier methods, like gloves or tools designed for sterile manipulation of items.

In this context, allowing items to fall onto the sterile field, though not ideal, typically can be corrected by replacing the dropped items with new sterile equipment. Using clean gloves, while generally safer, does not maintain the required sterility necessary for surgical procedures. Therefore, the focus remains on preventing bare-hand contact with sterile items, making the first option the one that should always be avoided.