ASEPSIS
Asepsis is the state of being free from disease-causing microorganisms (pathogens), achieved through
specific procedures that prevent contamination in medical settings. It utilizes sterile techniques, such as
hand hygiene and sterilized equipment, to prevent the spread of infection during procedures, crucial for
patient safety.
Asepsis is the state of being free from disease-causing micro-organisms (such as pathogenic
bacteria, viruses, pathogenic fungi, and parasites).
There are two categories of asepsis:
medical and surgical: The modern day notion of asepsis is derived from the
older antiseptic techniques, a shift initiated by different individuals in the 19th century who
introduced practices such as the sterilizing of surgical tools and the wearing of surgical gloves
during operations.
The goal of asepsis
Is to eliminate infection, not to achieve sterility. Ideally, an operating field is sterile, meaning it
is free of all biological contaminants (e.g. fungi, bacteria, viruses), not just those that can cause
disease, putrefaction, or fermentation. Even in an aseptic state, a condition of sterile
inflammation may develop. The term often refers to those practices used to promote or induce
asepsis in an operative field of surgery or medicine to prevent infection.
Aseptic technique
Aseptic techniques are strict procedures that healthcare providers use to prevent
the spread of infection. These procedures involve following rigorous guidelines to
ensure the environment remains free of pathogens (germs that can make you
sick).
Many different types of providers use aseptic techniques, from primary care
physicians (PCPs) to surgeons. Pathologists also use aseptic techniques in their
laboratories to prevent contamination.
Healthcare providers use aseptic techniques any time they need to prevent the
spread of harmful pathogens (bacteria, viruses, funguses, parasites). They
commonly follow these procedures when they’re:
Dressing wounds.
Inserting PICC lines or other types of central venous catheters.
Giving dialysis.
Doing surgery.
What are the differences between aseptic, sterile and clean techniques?
Germs are everywhere. They’re in the air we breathe, the water we drink and in
the soil in which we grow our food. They’re on plants and animals. They’re on us.
That might be a scary thought. But not all germs are bad. In fact, most of them
don’t harm us at all. But when we must undergo a medical procedure, it’s
important to reduce or eliminate pathogens. Pathogens are the germs that
cause infectious diseases. Examples include parasites and bacteria, viruses and
funguses. Aseptic techniques focus on eliminating pathogens.
To learn more about aseptic techniques, it’s helpful to know these terms and
what they mean:
Clean. This refers to completely clean items that aren’t sterile. Boxed gloves (like
the ones you see in your physician’s office) are great examples of clean protective
gear. An unused glove from a box is free from dirt, stains and other debris. But it’s
not sterile. That means it still has some microorganisms, like most things in our
everyday environment. In a nutshell, clean techniques focus on reducing the
overall number of germs. But they don’t completely eliminate them.
Aseptic. This refers to a stricter standard of infection control. While clean
techniques reduce overall germs, aseptic techniques aim to eliminate them. One
aseptic technique example is in the operating room. Providers wear sterile gloves
rather than clean gloves. They also wear sterile gowns and use sterile drapes and
instruments. They place barriers over everything.
Sterile. The terms “sterile” and “aseptic” generally refer to the same idea —
eliminating germs to prevent infection. Healthcare providers usually use “aseptic”
to describe techniques and procedures and “sterile” to describe settings and
instruments. (Example: Your provider uses “aseptic” techniques to create a
“sterile” environment.)
Treatment Details
four elements of aseptic techniques
Aseptic techniques require strict guidelines that help prevent germs that cause
infection. Providers categorize these guidelines into four elements:
a)Tool and patient preparation. Healthcare providers must have sterilized any
tools or instruments they’ll use during aseptic techniques. The most common
method is steam sterilization. A provider wraps the instruments and places them
in an autoclave. An autoclave is a machine that exposes the instruments to heat
and steam pressure. When the provider takes the instruments out of the
autoclave, they check a sterilization indicator (like temperature-sensitive tape or a
color-changing dot) to make sure the instruments are sterile. In addition to
sterilizing tools and instruments, a provider will also apply antiseptic to your skin
to reduce germs.
b)Barriers. Barriers include any items that prevent cross contamination. For
example, when your provider wears masks, gowns and gloves, it keeps germs on
them from getting onto you.
c)Contact guidelines. During aseptic techniques, providers follow strict sterile-tosterile contact guidelines. This means they wear sterile protective gear and only
touch sterile items.
e)Environmental controls. This refers to anything that helps reduce germs getting
into the treatment room. One example is keeping doors closed during surgical
procedures.
Risks / Benefits
Why is aseptic technique important?
Your skin is your body’s barrier against germs. Any time you cut your skin, you’re
more vulnerable to infection. A cut made during surgery is still a type of wound,
even though you’re in a controlled environment. Aseptic techniques help protect
you from germs that cause infection so your body can heal and recover rather
than fight off infections.
Aseptic techniques are important in situations where healthcare providers need
to eliminate germs completely — and they’re particularly valuable for people who
already have compromised immune systems. Without aseptic guidelines, you’d
have a much higher risk of developing infection after surgeries or even minor
medical procedures.
In many cases, clean techniques are sufficient for preventing the spread of
harmful pathogens. But the aseptic technique is essential when you need an
added layer of caution and protection.