Sterile and unsterile items cannot touch.

Sterile and unsterile items cannot touch.

• A. True
• B. Sometimes
• C. False
• D. Never

Answer: (A)

Maintaining a sterile field means keeping sterile items free from any transfer of microorganisms from unsterile surfaces. If a sterile item comes into direct contact with an unsterile item, the sterility is lost and contamination can occur, which undermines infection control and patient safety. That’s why sterile and unsterile items should not touch. In practice, sterile items are kept only in contact with other sterile items or sterile barriers, and anything that touches a nonsterile surface is considered contaminated and must be reprocessed or discarded.

Maintaining a sterile field means keeping sterile items free from any transfer of microorganisms from unsterile surfaces. If a sterile item comes into direct contact with an unsterile item, the sterility is lost and contamination can occur, which undermines infection control and patient safety. That’s why sterile and unsterile items should not touch. In practice, sterile items are kept only in contact with other sterile items or sterile barriers, and anything that touches a nonsterile surface is considered contaminated and must be reprocessed or discarded.