how to cough when you are next to a sterile field?

[swansonplace]

When you are directly over a sterile field, and need to cough, why is it that if I turn my back on the sterile field that the sterile field is considered contaminated?

How do you cough if you are over a sterile field?

[ziggysgal,RN]

When you are directly over a sterile field, and need to cough, why is it that if I turn my back on the sterile field that the sterile field is considered contaminated?

How do you cough if you are over a sterile field?

no answer on the cough question, but if you turn your back on a sterile field, you can no longer be 100% certain it is sterile (left your eyesight) ... and if you're not 100% certain, it must be presumed contaminated.

The cough question, though.. I'd like to hear that answer. :)

[birthrevolution]

You can step back from a sterile field, so if this happened to me I would step back and cough into my armpit.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Yep. Same way you should always cough or sneeze when practicing spread prevention...... Into your shoulder/armpit. Take one step back prior in order to do all you can to prevent airborne contaminants.

[CuriousMe]

I've been taught the same, I step back (but still facing the sterile field) and cough into my shoulder/armpit.

[swansonplace]

Thanks. But why is it that it is considered contaminated because I turn my back on the field. It is that I took my eyes off of the field. I dropped bacteria from my back?

[CuriousMe]

You took your eyes from the sterile field, so you don't know for sure that it's still sterile. If you don't know for sure, it's considered contaminated.

Incidentally, this is also why you must keep your hands above your waist.

[swansonplace]

Thank you everyone.

[SC APRN, DNP, APRN, NP]

Sometimes you have to turn your head and body from the field, for many reasons. I guess I always cough towards my shoulder, never really thought about it.

[ozViking]

your back is not considered sterile so turning your back on the sterile field is comparable to someone not scrubbed in stepping up to a sterile field.

Same reason why two persons scrubbed in pass each other back to back (or front to front).

As for coughing - I'd do what's said above, step back, cough into shoulder/armpit.

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

when you are directly over a sterile field, and need to cough, why is it that if i turn my back on the sterile field that the sterile field is considered contaminated?

it is considered contaminated because you do not know what is happening behind you(where the steril field is), you just assume it is contaminated.

how do you cough if you are over a sterile field?

you can cough to the side and still see your steril field, i usually turn my head to the side and use my shoulder or my upper arm to cover my mouth, same with sneezing.