Throughout the trach care procedure, how must the hands be maintained?

During tracheostomy care, maintaining proper hand hygiene and sterility is crucial to prevent infections. The correct approach is to keep the dominant hand sterile, as it is the hand that will perform most of the invasive tasks, such as manipulating sterile instruments and handling the tracheostomy tube or related equipment. This allows the provider to ensure that the critical areas of the procedure are conducted safely without contaminating sterile objects.

The non-dominant hand, while it must still be clean and hygienic, does not need to remain sterile because it is typically used for support, stabilization, or passing items to the sterile field but not directly handling sterile items. By ensuring that the dominant hand is sterile, you actively reduce the risk of introducing pathogens to the tracheostomy site during care. This approach is consistent with best practices in infection control and is especially important in procedures involving the respiratory tract, where the risk of infection can have serious consequences.