Surgical drapes are an essential tool in every operating room. Surgical drapes are made of cloth, plastic, or paper and are used to help prevent the spread of infection and protect patients, surgical staff, and equipment in the operating room.

How do surgical drapes work?

The main job of the surgical disposable drapes is to prevent the patient's bodily fluid from contaminating the equipment, tables and medical staff in the room during the operation. They also help to avoid contamination of the patient's surgical site with their own skin flora or other microorganisms. To maintain a sterile surgical field, various types of surgical drapes are hung or laid on surfaces around and adjacent to the patient. They act as a barrier to any liquid splashes that occur during surgery and help ensure a sterile environment. Once the drape is in place, it should not be repositioned, and members of the sterile team should handle the drape as little as possible. Unfolding should not be allowed when the surgical drape is being processed prior to patient placement.

The purpose of draping a surgical patient is to isolate the surgical site from the rest of the surgical site to help reduce the risk of surgical site infection. C&P surgical drapes are low lint, waterproof, comfortable and meet the standards provided by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).