American Podiatric Medical Licensing Examination (APMLE) Part 2 Practice Test 2026 - Free Podiatric Exam Questions and Study Guide

In prepping a contaminated area, go from clean to dirty. You want to decontaminate the surrounding skin first and finish with the contaminated area to avoid dragging microbes into the wound and to maintain as much sterility as possible as you approach the wound. That’s why prepping the contaminated area last is the best guideline. In practice, irrigate traumatic wounds to remove debris and reduce bioburden before applying antiseptics, and use an appropriate antiseptic rather than relying on an alcohol-based solution alone, which can be cytotoxic and insufficient as the sole prep.