How should sterile gowns and gloves be donned to maintain asepsis?

• A. Perform hand hygiene, don sterile gown first with proper technique, then don sterile gloves over the cuffs without contaminating the gown.
• B. Don sterile gloves first, then gown.
• C. Skip hand hygiene.
• D. Don gloves and gown together, touching the outside of the gown.

Answer: (D)

Asepsis in donning requires keeping the barriers between you, the patient, and the sterile field intact. Start with thorough hand hygiene to reduce skin flora. Then, don a sterile gown using the proper sterile technique so you only touch the gown’s sterile interior surfaces and the cuff areas that will contact sterile gloves. Once the gown is securely in place, put on sterile gloves without contaminating them—typically by handling the first glove with the other sterile glove and sliding your hand into it so you don’t touch any nonsterile surfaces. The gloves should extend over the gown cuffs to maintain a continuous sterile barrier.

This order and technique matter because touching nonsterile surfaces (like the outside of the gown or any bare skin) can transfer microbes to the sterile field. Skipping hand hygiene, donning gloves before the gown, or touching the outside of the gown with sterile gloves would compromise asepsis and increase infection risk.