Surgical drapes are used in the OR to protect the patient, clinicians, and equipment. Drapes can be made of cloth or paper, and reusable or disposable. Important characteristics include barrier protection effectiveness, resistance to ignition, and durability. Surgical drapes are employed to provide a physical barrier that protects the surgical field from contamination. Drapes are also placed in the surgical field around the incision site to cover the patient and to collect fluids. They also can be used to wrap sterile surgical instruments and to cover equipment in the surgical suite.