Drapes required for Leg/hip. Which item is the impervious tube stockinet used for?

Drapes required for Leg/hip. Which item is the impervious tube stockinet used for?

• A. Impervious tube stockinet to fit over the foot if excluded
• B. Bottom drape to place under the elevated leg and foot
• C. Fenestrated top sheet
• D. Four towel drapes for each incision site

Answer: (A)

In leg/hip draping, you need a protective, waterproof barrier around the limb portion that isn’t fully included in the sterile field. The impervious tube stockinet is a waterproof tubular covering placed over the leg and, specifically, over the foot if that part is excluded from the sterile field. It creates a sterile, fluid-tight barrier around the limb, prevents prep solution or fluids from contaminating areas outside the field, and allows the foot to be kept ready for use or repositioning without exposing the sterile area. Other drape options don’t provide that targeted barrier for an excluded foot: a bottom drape under the leg and foot serves as a base but isn’t the intact barrier for the foot itself; a fenestrated top sheet covers only the incision area; and multiple towel drapes isolate incisions but don’t offer the impermeable, limb-wide coverage the tube stockinet provides.

In leg/hip draping, you need a protective, waterproof barrier around the limb portion that isn’t fully included in the sterile field. The impervious tube stockinet is a waterproof tubular covering placed over the leg and, specifically, over the foot if that part is excluded from the sterile field. It creates a sterile, fluid-tight barrier around the limb, prevents prep solution or fluids from contaminating areas outside the field, and allows the foot to be kept ready for use or repositioning without exposing the sterile area.

Other drape options don’t provide that targeted barrier for an excluded foot: a bottom drape under the leg and foot serves as a base but isn’t the intact barrier for the foot itself; a fenestrated top sheet covers only the incision area; and multiple towel drapes isolate incisions but don’t offer the impermeable, limb-wide coverage the tube stockinet provides.