When a HCW has donned proper sterile surgical attire, the HCW’s sterile area is the only area that should come in contact with the sterile field. A sterile field is an area created by placing sterile surgical drapes around the patient’s surgical site and on the stand that will hold sterile instruments and other items needed during surgery. Studies have demonstrated that patients who had not been shaved had significantly fewer post-operative infections than patients who had been shaved.Ĭreating and maintaining a sterile field is an essential component of aseptic technique.
Aseptic technique types skin#
Shaving is no longer recommended because it causes small nicks and breaks in the skin where bacteria can grow and multiply hair around the site may be clipped short if it might interfere with the procedure. The HCW should gently scrub the skin in a circular motion, beginning in the center of the site and moving outward and using sterile sponges held by a sponge forceps. The patient’s surgical site should be thoroughly cleaned, and then an antiseptic applied to the skin. Proper preparation of the patient using an antimicrobial product prior to surgery is essential in reducing the number of microorganisms present on the patient’s skin. Maintaining a safe environment in the operating room.Using surgical barriers, including sterile surgical drapes and proper personal protective equipment, including head coverings, surgical masks and gowns, gloves, and shoe coverings.According to EngenderHealth, aseptic technique prepares patients for surgery, safeguards against excessive manipulation, and protects clients from microorganisms in the environment and on the HCW’s skin, clothes, and hair.Īseptic technique also encompasses practices performed immediately before and during a surgical procedure to reduce post-operative infection. Patients are also at risk of acquiring infections when bacteria from the patient’s own skin infect a wound, when tissue has been damaged due to rough or excessive manipulation during surgery, or when excessive bleeding makes the tissue susceptible to invasion by microorganisms.
These normal flora can also cause infection in an immuno-compromised patient who is especially susceptible to infection.
The usually harmless microorganisms found on the skin of a healthcare worker (HCW) may cause infection when introduced into an area of the patient’s body where they are not normally found, such as into a client’s internal organs during surgery. These practices also are designed to help the surgical team avoid being exposed to blood, body fluids, tissue and other potentially infectious material (OPIM) during surgical procedures.Īccording to the organization EngenderHealth, aseptic techniques are those which: remove or kill microorganisms from hands and objects employ sterile instruments and other items reduce patients’ risk of exposure to microorganisms that cannot be removed. The word “aseptic” is defined as “without microorganisms,” and aseptic technique refers to specific practices which reduce the risk of post-surgical infections in patients by decreasing the likelihood that infectious agents will invade the body during clinical procedures. Proper aseptic technique is one of the most fundamental and essential principles of infection control in the clinical and surgical setting.
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