You are packing a patient's abdominal wound with sterile, half-inch Iodoform gauze. You drop some of the gauze onto the patient's abdomen 2 inches (5 cm) away from the wound. What should you do?
A) Apply povidone-iodine (Betadine) to that section of the gauze and continue packing the wound.
B) Pick up the gauze and continue packing the wound after irrigating the abdominal wound with Betadine solution.
C) Continue packing the wound and inform the physician that an antibiotic is needed.
D) Discard the gauze packing and repack the wound with new Iodoform gauze.
Ans: D
Feedback: Sterile surfaces or articles may touch other sterile surfaces or articles and remain
sterile; contact with unsterile objects at any point renders a sterile area contaminated. The sterile gauze became contaminated when it was dropped on the patient's abdomen. It should be discarded and new Iodoform gauze should be used to pack the wound. Betadine should not be used in the wound unless ordered.
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