Which term describes a situation that occurs if a sterile field is wet touched or out of sight?

• A. Break in Sterility
• B. Fomites
• C. Nosocomial Infection
• D. Sterile Field Contamination

Answer: (D)

In sterile technique, the field must stay free from moisture and must be visible so you can monitor it for any breach. When a sterile field is wetted or goes out of sight, microbes can reach and contaminate the sterile items, so the field is no longer sterile. This state is called sterile field contamination—the field has been compromised and is no longer safe for use in a sterile procedure.

Fomites refer to nonliving objects that can carry microbes and aren’t describing the status of the field itself. Nosocomial infection describes an infection acquired in the hospital, not the condition of the sterile field. A break in sterility is a related idea (a breach in sterile technique), but the specific term for the compromised field itself is sterile field contamination.