5.9 : Asepsis

The condition of being free from disease-causing living pathogens is asepsis. Aseptic techniques include a set of standard practices to achieve asepsis. An example is the regular environmental cleaning of all parts of the healthcare facility and hand hygiene at home before preparing or eating food. Medical and surgical asepsis in healthcare practice protects patients from harmful pathogens, minimizes the risk of contamination of susceptible sites, and reduces the risk of infection transmission. Asepsis can prevent contamination or break the infection chain.

Medical asepsis, known as the clean technique, decreases the count and transmission of pathogens. It is helpful when caring for patients with infectious diseases, prevents reinfection, and avoids spreading infection throughout the healthcare facility. In addition, it protects healthcare workers from illness. A typical example of medical asepsis is performing hand hygiene.

Surgical asepsis, also known as sterile techniques, are distinct practices and procedures that keep surgical equipment, the surgical theater, and the diagnostic areas free from all pathogens and maintain asepsis. When utilizing sterile techniques, contamination occurs if a non-sterile object touches the sterile equipment or areas. Examples of surgical asepsis procedures are the insertion of an intravenous catheter or an indwelling urinary catheter. In conclusion, adherence to aseptic techniques for infection control is essential for the safety of patients and staff.