Aseptic Technique Practice Exam

The key idea is how the sterile boundary is defined when a gown and gloves are worn. The sterile area includes the front of the gown from the chest down to the level of the sterile field, and it also includes the entire glove cuffs. These surfaces are kept sterile because they form the barrier that contacts the sterile field and any sterile instruments. The back of the gown is not sterile, as it is exposed to nonsterile surfaces. Room countertops are not sterile in routine practice, and the patient’s skin is not sterile either, even though it may be prepped. So the front of the gown plus the chest-to-field level and the glove cuffs represent the sterile boundaries.