MEDICAL AND SURGICAL ASEPSIS

Medical Asepsis

 Medical asepsis, also called clean technique.

 Important of medical sepsis is to prevent the spread of disease from one person to
another.

 It is followed while examining patients, medications, enemas, tube feeding, minor

procedure like I.V cannula insertion etc.

 The most important medical asepsis technique is handwashing.

Surgical asepsis

Surgical asepsis, also called sterile technique, is used in the operating room delivery room,
during surgical procedures, catheterization, and during dressing changes.

Method used in medical and surgical asepsis

 Handwashing

 Use of latex gloves

 Clothing

 Decontamination

 Disinfection

 Storage

 Sterilization

Handwashing

 It is one of the important method in asepsis.

 Washing hands is the important procedure during delivery, handwashing reduce the
death rate of mother and child.

Use of latex gloves

 Along with handwashing, latex glove usage reduces the incidence of infection.

 Latex gloves provide extra layer of protection between health care worker and patient.

Clothing
  Clothing is important in surgical asepsis.

 Clothing is also can act as a source of infection.

 Care has to be taken to sterilize all the clothing which come in contact with the patient.

Decontamination

 It is the method of removal of microbes.

 Decontamination involves killing pathogens by using chlorine bleach on bed linens,

scrubs, pillows, utensils, masks etc.

Storage

 The storage area should not be situated in the proximity of fresh food stores or food
preparation areas.