Planning/Implementation:
After scrubbing, hands and arms must be thoroughly dried before the sterile gown is donned to prevent contamination of the gown by strike through of organisms from wet skin. The gown package for the scrub person contains one sterile gown, folded before sterilization, with the inside out, so that the bare scrubbed hands will not contaminate the sterile outside of the gown. A towel for drying the hands is placed on top of the gown during packing. The hands is placed on top of the gown during packing the Hands are dried as follows. Reach down to the opened sterile package and pick up the towel. Be careful not to drip water onto the pack. Be sure no one is within arm’s reach. Open the towel full-length, holding one end away from non-sterile scrub attire. Bend slightly forward to avoid letting the towel touch the attire. Dry both hands thoroughly but independently. To dry one arm, hold the towel in the opposite hand and, using an oscillating motion of the arm, draw the towel up to the elbow. Carefully revere the towel, still holding it away from the body. Dry the opposite hand arm on the unused (now uppermost) end of the towel.
