Managing the sterile field

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Currently we set up the room according to the surgical extremity. We want to stop the practice of setting the sterile table up on the side that the patient comes into the room on. In the past we waited until the patient was drapped and or in the room before we moved the table around. What is your current practice? What is your boundary? 12 inches 18? Do you allow traffic near the sterile table? I have been looking in AORN and books and cant seem to find a "standard." Janel

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Specializes in ICU, Surgery.

We can "turn our ortho rooms around". The anesthesia machine and equipment can be moved to the opposite side, depending on right or left, so that the extremity and sterile tables are always away from the door. In the non-ortho rooms, we move the sterile table after patient is draped, for example dialysis grafts. Hope this helps. I have never seen a policy regarding "how many inches away".

Lu

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Table are on the opposite side of the room from the doors where i work.

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