How should you maintain sterility when passing multiple hemostats in a field?

• A. Use sterile technique, pass one instrument at a time, maintain clean fields, and avoid exposing more than necessary
• B. Pass multiple instruments at once without regard to sterility
• C. Handle all instruments with bare hands
• D. Use non-sterile gloves during passing

Answer: (A)

Maintaining sterility in the surgical field is essential to prevent infection. When passing hemostats, the safest approach is to use sterile technique, pass one instrument at a time to the recipient, keep the field clean, and expose only what is necessary. This approach preserves the sterile barrier and minimizes opportunities for contamination.

Passing one instrument at a time allows a controlled hand-off within the sterile zone, reducing the chance of dropping an instrument or bringing non-sterile surfaces into contact with sterile items. Keeping the field clean means avoiding clutter and handling instruments in a way that prevents contamination from surrounding surfaces. Exposing only the minimum necessary area limits contact with the non-sterile environment and helps maintain the integrity of the sterile field.

Other methods would compromise sterility: handling instruments with bare hands or using non-sterile gloves breaks the sterile barrier, and passing multiple instruments at once increases exposure and the potential for contamination.