What should be done immediately when contamination is suspected in surgical settings?

When contamination is suspected in surgical settings, it is critical to remedy the contamination immediately. This is essential because even minor contamination can lead to serious infections and complications for patients. Addressing the issue on the spot helps to maintain a sterile environment and ensures patient safety. This often involves removing contaminated instruments, changing gloves, or attending to any breaches in aseptic technique without delay.

Ignoring the contamination or attempting to add more sterile items over it would not resolve the potential risk and could worsen the situation by covering up the problem. Documenting it for later review may be necessary for quality assurance, but it should not be the immediate response when patient safety is at stake. The priority in surgical settings is always the well-being of the patient and upholding the highest standards of aseptic practices.