A sterile field has been prepared for a vaginal hysterectomy. The surgeon has been called away for an emergency C-section, delaying the scheduled case by at least 1 hour. The appropriate method for maintaining the sterile field is to

• A. Tape the door closed
• B. Cover the sterile field with a sterile drape and leave the room
• C. Cover the sterile field with a sterile drape and remain in the room
• D. Wait for an hour and tear down the back table

Answer: (C)

The key idea is preserving the sterile barrier when a delay occurs. If the surgeon is called away, the safest way to keep the sterile field intact is to cover it with a sterile drape and remain in the room. Staying there allows you to monitor the field, prevent disturbances, and minimize exposure to room traffic or sudden air movement that could compromise sterility. Leaving the room, even with a drape, increases the chance that inadvertent contamination could occur when doors open, people pass by, or the drape is disturbed. Tearing down the back table or taping the door shut aren’t appropriate strategies because they either waste time or create unsafe conditions.