In sterile technique, which statement about the border is true?

• A. The entire field, including border, is sterile
• B. Only the inner 2 inch border is contaminated
• C. The outer 1 inch border is contaminated; the sterile field is the area inside
• D. The entire border is contaminated

Answer: (C)

In sterile technique, the protected area is the sterile field, but a margin around it is not sterile. Treat the outer one-inch border as contaminated to create a safety buffer so that anything touching or crossing that edge is avoided, helping prevent microorganisms from reaching the sterile area. Therefore, the sterile field is the area inside the border, not including the border itself. The statements that claim the entire field is sterile or that a larger portion of the border is contaminated don’t reflect this margin rule.