How do sterile field edges influence tool and hand movement?

• A. They encourage touching edges with non-sterile surfaces to save time.
• B. Avoid touching sterile field edges with non-sterile surfaces; hands should remain within sterile boundaries to prevent contamination.
• C. Edges are irrelevant to movement.
• D. You should rotate hands outside the sterile field periodically.

Answer: (B)

Sterile field integrity depends on keeping hands and instruments inside the sterile boundary and avoiding contact between non-sterile surfaces and the field’s edges. The edges are treated as contaminated; touching them with non-sterile surfaces risks carrying microbes into the sterile zone and contaminating everything inside. Moving hands or tools outside the boundary increases the chance of contamination and would require re‑sterilization. So, the best approach is to avoid touching the sterile field edges with non‑sterile surfaces and to keep hands within the sterile boundaries. The edges are not irrelevant, and moving outside or touching them with non‑sterile items would compromise sterility.