Which step is essential to maintain sterile technique during a wound dressing change?

• A. Remove old dressing without touching the wound
• B. Cleanse with antiseptic after removing old dressing
• C. Apply new dressing without donning sterile gloves
• D. Reuse the old dressing

Answer: (A)

Maintaining a sterile technique during a wound dressing change hinges on preventing contamination of the wound. The essential action is removing the old dressing without touching the wound. By handling the dressing in a way that keeps the wound and sterile field untouched, you minimize the chance of bacteria on the dressing reaching the wound bed. This preserves the protective barrier and lowers infection risk.

After safely lifting the old dressing away, you would proceed with cleansing and applying a new dressing using sterile technique, but starting with removing the contaminated dressing without contact with the wound is the most critical safeguard. Reusing the old dressing is not appropriate and would reintroduce contaminants, and applying a new dressing without sterile gloves would break sterility. While cleansing is important, it follows the step of maintaining a clean field during removal and dressing application.