Certified Medical Assistant (CMA AAMA)Safety and Infection ControlHard
A medical assistant is observing a colleague preparing a sterile tray. The colleague accidentally touches the sterile field with their bare hand. What is the immediate and most appropriate action the medical assistant should take?
- AContinue observing and report the incident later.
- BImmediately inform the colleague that the field is contaminated and must be re-established.
- COffer to help by providing a new pair of sterile gloves.
- DQuietly replace the contaminated items on the tray.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Immediately inform the colleague that the field is contaminated and must be re-established.
Any breach in sterile technique, such as touching a sterile field with a bare hand, immediately renders the entire field contaminated. The most appropriate and critical action is to stop the procedure, declare the field contaminated, and immediately re-establish a new sterile field to prevent patient infection.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Delaying action risks patient safety.
- C. New gloves won't fix a contaminated field; a new field is needed.
- D. Replacing only a few items is insufficient; the entire field is compromised.
Breach of Sterile Technique
Any event that compromises the integrity of a sterile field or sterile items, rendering them non-sterile.
- Requires immediate action.
- Contamination means the entire field is non-sterile.
- A new sterile field must be established.
Memory trick: Touch it, Trash it, Redo it!