Biology Forums - Study Force

An operating room nurse is preparing an operation theater for a surgical procedure. Which of the following points regarding the principles of surgical asepsis should the nurse heed when preparing sterilized surgical instruments?
 
  A) When a sterile item touches something that is not sterile, it may or may not be contaminated.
  B) Any partially uncovered sterile package is still considered to be sterile.
  C) A commercially packaged surgical item is not considered sterile if it is past the expiry date.
  D) Sterility may not be preserved even when one sterile item touches another sterile item.

C
Feedback:
When preparing the operation theater for a surgical procedure, the nurse should remember that a commercially packaged surgical item is not considered sterile if it has passed its recommended expiry date. When a sterile item touches an item that is not sterile, then the sterile item is contaminated. If a sterile item touches another sterile item, it is not considered contaminated. A partially uncovered sterile package is considered contaminated.