#MEDICAL ASEPSIS HOW TO#
#MEDICAL ASEPSIS SKIN#
#MEDICAL ASEPSIS FREE#

Stay organized and complete procedures as soon as possible. Set up sterile trays as close to the time of use as possible. When opening sterile equipment and adding supplies to a sterile field, take care to avoid contamination. Never turn your back on the sterile field as sterility cannot be guaranteed.ĥ.

Sterile fields must always be kept in sight throughout entire sterile procedure. Sterile fields must always be kept in sight to be considered sterile. Table drapes are only sterile at waist level.Ĥ. Keep all sterile equipment and sterile gloves above waist level. Sterile items that are below the waist level, or items held below waist level, are considered to be non-sterile. Keep the tips of forceps down during a sterile procedure to prevent fluid travelling over entire forceps and potentially contaminating the sterile field.ģ. Whenever the sterility of an object is questionable, consider it non-sterile.įluid flows in the direction of gravity. Sterile objects must only be touched by sterile equipment or sterile gloves. A sterile object becomes non-sterile when touched by a non-sterile object. All objects used in a sterile field must be sterile.Ĭommercially packaged sterile supplies are marked as sterile other packaging will be identified as sterile according to agency policy.Ĭheck packages for sterility by assessing intactness, dryness, and expiry date prior to use.Īny 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.Ģ.

Health care providers who are ill should avoid invasive procedures or, if they can’t avoid them, should double mask.ġ.Review hospital procedures and requirements for sterile technique prior to initiating any invasive procedure.Choose appropriate PPE to decrease the transmission of microorganisms from patients to health care worker.

#MEDICAL ASEPSIS HOW TO#

When performing a procedure, ensure the patient understands how to prevent contamination of equipment and knows to refrain from sudden movements or touching, laughing, sneezing, or talking over the sterile field.

Hand hygiene is a priority before any aseptic procedure.

Checklist 9: Principles of Sterile Technique Disclaimer: Always review and follow your hospital policy regarding this specific skill. See Checklist 9 for the principles of sterile technique. It is the responsibility of all health care workers to speak up and protect all patients from infection. These principles must be strictly applied when performing any aseptic procedures, when assisting with aseptic procedures, and when intervening when the principles of surgical asepsis are breached. Principles of Surgical AsepsisĪll personnel involved in an aseptic procedure are required to follow the principles and practice set forth by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). Preventing and reducing SSI are the most important reasons for using sterile technique during invasive procedures and surgeries. Sterile technique is essential to help prevent surgical site infections (SSI), an unintended and oftentimes preventable complication arising from surgery. SSI is defined as an “infection that occurs after surgery in the area of surgery” (CDC, 2010, p. Sterile technique may include the use of sterile equipment, sterile gowns, and gloves (Perry et al., 2014).

#MEDICAL ASEPSIS SKIN#

In health care, sterile technique is always used when the integrity of the skin is accessed, impaired, or broken (e.g., burns or surgical incisions). It is also used when performing a sterile procedure at the bedside, such as inserting devices into sterile areas of the body or cavities (e.g., insertion of chest tube, central venous line, or indwelling urinary catheter). Sterile technique is most commonly practised in operating rooms, labour and delivery rooms, and special procedures or diagnostic areas. Principles of sterile technique help control and prevent infection, prevent the transmission of all microorganisms in a given area, and include all techniques that are practised to maintain sterility. In the literature, surgical asepsis and sterile technique are commonly used interchangeably, but they mean different things (Kennedy, 2013).

#MEDICAL ASEPSIS FREE#

Sterile technique is a set of specific practices and procedures performed to make equipment and areas free from all microorganisms and to maintain that sterility (BC Centre for Disease Control, 2010).

Surgical asepsis is the absence of all microorganisms within any type of invasive procedure. 1.5 Surgical Asepsis and the Principles of Sterile Technique Surgical AsepsisĪsepsis refers to the absence of infectious material or infection.

Medical asepsis