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Draping has been a part of the surgical ritual since the 19th century, helping maintain the sterile field in the OR by creating a barrier to protect the patient from his own flora as well as bacteria in the room's air. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses recommend draping the patient to prevent surgical site infections.1,2 But how much science is really behind these guidelines? Read on and then take our quiz on drapes, their benefits and drawbacks and the most effective ways to use them.
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