Which item is used to exclude the hand from the sterile field?

• A. Tube stockinet (hand excluded from the sterile field)
• B. Table drape
• C. Four surgical towels
• D. Incise drape

Answer: (A)

Excluding the hand from the sterile field is achieved with a tube stockinet because it provides a protective sleeve around the limb, creating a barrier that keeps the hand outside the sterile area while the rest of the arm is covered and prepped. The tubular fabric can be placed over the forearm and upper arm so that only the skin within the sterile field remains exposed, reducing the chance that the hand or forearm contaminates the sterile zone during draping and instrument handling. This approach is chosen over other items because a table drape covers the work surface, four surgical towels help build and protect the sterile field around the site but don’t specifically isolate the hand, and an incise drape is used to seal around the incision area itself rather than to exclude the hand from the sterile field.