AORN Standards of Surgical Attire
This should be removed if visibly soiled, contaminated, or wet.
What is surgical attire?
This is considered the unsterile area of an opened package.
What is the edge of the wrapper?
If an item is hanging over the edge of a sterile back table, it is considered this.
What is unsterile or contaminated?
If there is any doubt about the sterility of an item, it is considered this.
What is unsterile?
This is where the scrub tech gown and gloves should be opened.
What is a separate surface than the sterile back table?
This should be worn by unscrubbed personnel when performing surgical skin antisepsis.
What is a long sleeve jacket that is snapped closed?
This should be kept in constant view once opened.
What is a sterile field?
This is the length in which an unsterile person should stand away from the sterile field.
What is 12 inches?
This should never be turned to the sterile field.
What is your back?
This is performed to remove transient skin flora from the fingernails, hands, and forearms.
What is a surgical scrub or surgical hand antisepsis?
This should be removed or confined within the surgical attire when in the semi-restricted and restricted areas.
What is jewelry including watches, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets?
This person should not reach over a sterile field.
Who is an unscrubbed person?
This area is considered unsterile and a scrubbed person should never place their hands here.
What is below the waist level and the axillary region?
This should be pointed out immediately about the sterile field and corrective action taken.
What is a known or suspected break in sterile technique?
This is the method recommended for donning sterile gloves.
What is the closed gloving method?
What is a surgical mask?
This is considered sterile only at table level.
What is a sterile back table?
This is the technique in which two scrubbed persons can switch positions during the surgery if needed.
What is back-to-back or front-to-front?
This precaution should be taken when transferring liquids to the sterile field.
What is leaning over the sterile field and splashing?
This is the minimum length the sterile field should be away from the wall and other non-sterile equipment.
What is 12 inches?
These should not be worn to chart, make phone calls, or while walking in the hallway.
What are gloves?
This is considered the sterile area of a surgical gown.
What is from chest level to the waist and the sleeves to 2 inches above the elbows?
This is only allowed by scrubbed personnel when the entire procedure will be performed in this manner.
What is a sitting position?
Unscrubbed personnel should do this when moving around the sterile field.
What is facing the sterile field and not walking between sterile fields (i.e. draped patient and sterile back table)?
This is the recommended time the sterile field should be opened prior to a case.
What is as close to the time of use as possible?