Why is medical asepsis important

See Checklist 9 for the principles of sterile technique. Any torn, previously opened, or wet packaging, or packaging that has been dropped on the floor, is considered non-sterile and may not be used in the sterile field. A sterile object becomes non-sterile when touched by a non-sterile object. Sterile objects must only be touched by sterile equipment or sterile gloves. Fluid flows in the direction of gravity. Keep the tips of forceps down during a sterile procedure to prevent fluid travelling over entire forceps and potentially contaminating the sterile field.

Sterile items that are below the waist level, or items held below waist level, are considered to be non-sterile. Keep all sterile equipment and sterile gloves above waist level.

Table drapes are only sterile at waist level. Sterile fields must always be kept in sight to be considered sterile. Sterile fields must always be kept in sight throughout entire sterile procedure.

Never turn your back on the sterile field as sterility cannot be guaranteed. When opening sterile equipment and adding supplies to a sterile field, take care to avoid contamination. Set up sterile trays as close to the time of use as possible. Sterile objects can become non-sterile by prolonged exposure to airborne microorganisms.

Any puncture, moisture, or tear that passes through a sterile barrier must be considered contaminated. Keep sterile surface dry and replace if wet or torn. Examples of clean techniques include washing hands and putting on clean gloves when needed. Hygiene habits for kids ». For example, you may need to change a dressing on a wound, and that requires a sterile dressing.

Note: Proper aseptic techniques require training. Before you need to change the dressing at home, a healthcare specialist should demonstrate the techniques and have you practice them. To change a sterile dressing, a person needs sterile gloves and a special dressing change kit or supplies. Even intentional cuts during surgery put you at risk for infection. The way healthcare providers use aseptic techniques before, during, and after your procedure help protect you from infection.

You need your immune system to be at its strongest to heal. Healthcare workers try to minimize several common kinds of healthcare-associated infections HAIs by using aseptic techniques.

These include:. Each of these infections represents a major healthcare concern. Medical facilities are required to report their infection rates to the federal government. If their rates are too high, the facility can face disciplinary action. HAIs cost healthcare facilities and, more importantly, patients. Preventing the infection in the first place saves lives and money. The outcome of aseptic technique depends on whether all healthcare professionals thoroughly follow all procedures. Healthcare professionals are responsible for following clean and aseptic techniques.

If you notice that someone fails to wash hands or sterilize equipment, speak up. Doing so may save you or a loved one from potentially fatal infections.

News Home News The importance of asepsis in the operating room. Gen 08 , Doctors and healthcare professionals, therefore, must do everything possible to protect the patient and implement the appropriate procedures during all phases of: preparation of the surgical environment; preparation of instruments; preparation of the patient; preparation of the surgical field; maintenance of asepsis during surgery.

Asepsis and more Asepsis is a procedure that mainly concerns objects that are part of environments or structures with a high risk of infection for the patient, such as the operating room. Specifically: Disinfection : it is obtained through the use of chemicals disinfectants and has the goal of destroying a specific germ or all pathogens present in a particular site.

Asepsis in the operating room: why it's important Whenever the skin surface is damaged, as is the case for activities in the operating room, aseptic techniques are those that prevent microorganisms from entering the internal tissues and causing infections or other complications. Operating in an aseptic environment, therefore, requires standardized procedures for example hygiene of the hands, of the patient's skin or of particular instruments the use of physical agents and adequate PPE: drapes; gowns; shoe covers; gauze; masks; hats; etc.

In addition, the devices made of non-woven fabric non-toxic and hypoallergenic material , have several advantages in terms of: effectiveness against bacterial penetration; tear resistance; guarantee of sterile, water-repellent and waterproof products.

Back to top. The decision as to whether single-use sterile or single-use non-sterile examination gloves should be worn, or whether gloves are required at all, should be based on a risk assessment NHMRC, ; Loveday et al, Single-use non-sterile gloves should be worn to protect the healthcare worker when there is a risk of contact with blood or body fluids during any procedure Loveday et al, Where there is a risk that key parts or key sites cannot be protected, for example, during urinary catheter insertion, sterile gloves should be worn NHMRC, ; Rowley et al, During the procedure, the sterile field needs to be maintained; this can be achieved by careful opening of the sterile packets to avoid contamination of the sterile equipment and the sterile surfaces of the inside packaging.

If a sterile dressing pack is being used, care should be taken to ensure that only the corners are used when opening out the sterile field. Carefully open any other sterile equipment and gently place it onto the sterile field, avoiding any contamination of the sterile surfaces of the equipment Lloyd Jones, At the end of the procedure, all waste must be disposed of in the appropriate waste stream bin, such as a healthcare waste bin.

Sharps, including needles, suture cutters, scissors and blades must be disposed of at the point of use in an approved sharps container Loveday et al, The remaining waste, including aprons and gloves, should be disposed of according to local policy Loveday et al, When all the waste has been disposed of safely and apron and gloves, if worn, have been removed hands should be decontaminated Loveday et al, Asepsis is an essential component of infection prevention and control practice to protect patients from potential HCAIs Loveday et al, All steps in a non-touch aseptic technique should be seen as an opportunity to reduce the transfer of pathogenic organisms.

Healthcare workers should be educated and trained in an aseptic technique that should include competency assessment Loveday et al, and should be considered a core competency for many nurses. NICE guidance suggests that the ANTT framework provides a possible approach to standardised aseptic technique removing ambiguity and variance that allows a process for audit and assurance.

It is vitally important that nurses understand the principles of asepsis, and the ANTT framework may provide a way of implementing the principles.

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Principles of asepsis 1: the rationale for using aseptic technique. Abstract Aseptic technique is a core competency for many nurses. This article has been double-blind peer reviewed This article is open access and can be freely distributed Scroll down to read the article or download a print-friendly PDF here if the PDF fails to fully download please try again using a different browser Read part 2 of this series here.