Which of the following is a correct step to maintain asepsis during wound dressing using sterile technique?

• A. Maintain sterile field
• B. Wash hands for 20 seconds
• C. Keep hands below the waist
• D. Reuse sterile packages after expiration

Answer: (A)

Maintaining a sterile field is the key practice to preserve asepsis during wound dressing with sterile technique. When you create and keep a sterile field, you prevent microorganisms from entering the wound as you apply the dressing. This means handling sterile supplies only with sterile gloves, keeping the field intact and free from nonsterile items, and ensuring all actions keep the sterile area uncontaminated. Hands and forearms should stay within the sterile field and above waist level to avoid crossing into contaminated zones.

Hand hygiene is important as a baseline to reduce microbial load, but the step that specifically sustains asepsis during the dressing is preserving the sterile field itself. Keeping hands below the waist would risk contamination, and reusing sterile packages after expiration compromises sterility and safety.