Where is the incise drape positioned?

• A. Over the incision site after skin prep
• B. Around the entire patient
• C. On the surgical gown
• D. Under the drapes

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to create a sterile barrier directly over the incision area to isolate the wound from surrounding skin. An incise drape is placed after skin prep so that the fenestration (the opening) lines up with the planned incision, and the area around it is covered by a sterile drape that sticks to dry skin. This positioning protects the incision from skin flora and potential contamination as the procedure proceeds.

It shouldn’t be placed around the entire patient, on the gown, or beneath other drapes, because that would not provide a focused sterile barrier for the incision and could interfere with the sterile field.