Aseptic technique refers to practices that help reduce the risk of infection by preventing the transfer of microorganisms. There are two main types - medical asepsis, which aims to reduce microorganisms, and surgical asepsis, which aims to eliminate them. Key aspects of aseptic technique include cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization. Cleaning removes visible dirt, disinfection eliminates many microorganisms, and sterilization destroys all microorganisms through processes like steam, dry heat, or chemicals. Proper aseptic technique helps protect patients by minimizing exposure to infection-causing pathogens.

1. Aseptic technique
FON 2/GNS 122
BY
ABUBAKAR MUSA ABDULKARIM

2. Terms
• Asepsis is the absence of pathogenic (disease-producing)
microorganisms. Extreme response to infection.
• Sepsis is the body
• Aseptic technique refers to practices/procedures that help
reduce the risk for infection.
• Medical asepsis, or clean technique, includes procedures for
reducing the number of organisms present and preventing the
transfer of organisms,
• Aseptic non touch technique a method of not touching keyparts .
refers to preventing contamination of susceptible sites by hands,
surfaces or equipment
• Contamination is the condition of being soiled

3. • Critical aseptic field is working areas in invasive
procedure
• Cross contamination is bacteria or any organism
unintentionally transferred from one person to another
• Invasive is involving puncture or incision
• Key parts are the most critical parts of the procedural
equipment
• Key site is the medical device access sites or open
wound
• Technique: refers to identifying the risk of
contamination and choosing the right field and
technique

4. • Sterile field: an area free of microorganisms and
prepared to receive sterile items
• Infection is the invasion and multiplication of
microorganisms in body tissues, which may be
unapparent or the result of local cellular injury
caused by competitive metabolism, toxins,
intracellular replication, or antigen-antibody
response.
• An infection is the invasion of a susceptible host by
pathogens or microorganisms, resulting in disease.

5. Concept of Asepsis
• The nurse’s efforts to minimize the onset &
spread of infection are based on the principles of
aseptic technique.
• Aseptic technique is an effort to keep the client as
free from exposure to infection-causing
pathogens as possible.

6. Introduction
• Aseptic technique is a technique which aims
to prevent and control pathogenic organisms
from being introduced to susceptible sites by
the hand, surfaces and/or other equipment.

7. • Each procedure involves contact by a medical
device or surgical instrument with a patient’s
sterile tissue or mucous membranes. A major risk
of all such procedures is the introduction of
pathogens that can lead to infection. Failure to
properly disinfect or sterilize equipment carries
not only risk associated with breach of host
barriers but also risk for person-to-person
transmission (e.g., hepatitis B virus) and
transmission of environmental pathogens (e.g.,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa).

8. • Aseptic technique is a collection of medical
practices and procedures that helps protect
patients from dangerous germs. Bacteria,
viruses, and microorganisms are everywhere,
so using aseptic technique can help keep
important equipment from being
contaminated.

9. Types
• There are two types of asepsis:
Medical asepsis & Surgical asepsis.
• Medical or Clean Asepsis reduces the number
of organisms & prevents their spread.

10. Surgical or Sterile Asepsis or Sterile Technique
• Includes procedures used to eliminate micro-
organisms from an area & is practiced by
nurses in OTs, labour & delivery area, major
diagnostic areas & Rx areas.
• Surgical asepsis demands the highest level of
aseptic technique & requires that all areas be
kept as free as possible of infectious micro-
organisms.

11. • These techniques can be practiced by nurses in the OR
(surgical incision) or at the bedside (e.g, inserting IV or
urinary catheter & reapplying sterile dressings) where
sterile instruments & supplies are used.
• In surgical asepsis, an area or object may be considered
contaminated if touched by an object that is not sterile
(e.g., a tear in a surgical glove during a procedure, a sterile
instrument placed on an unsterile surface).

12. • The nurse working with a sterile field or with sterile
equipment must understand that the slightest break in
technique results in contamination.
• A nurse in an operating room follows a series of steps
to maintain sterile techniques, including applying a
mask, protective eyewear, and a cap; performing a
surgical hand washing; & applying a sterile gown &
gloves.
• Effectiveness of aseptic practices depends on the
nurse’s conscientiousness & consistency in using
effective aseptic techniques.

13. Medical Asepsis
• During daily routine care, the nurse uses basic medical aseptic
techniques to break the infection chain.
• Eg.of medical asepsis are changing client’s bed linen daily,
handwashing, barrier techniques, & routine environmental
cleaning.
• Follow Isolation technique as appropriate.
• In medical asepsis, an area or object is considered contaminated
only if it is suspected of containing pathogen (e.g., used bedpan,
the floor & a wet piece of gauze).

14. Principles of Surgical Asepsis
1. A sterile object remains sterile only when touched by
another sterile object.
2. Only sterile objects may be placed on a sterile field.
3. A sterile object or field out of the range of vision or
an object held below a person’s waist is contaminated.
4. A sterile object or field becomes contaminated by
prolonged exposure to air.

15. • 5. When a sterile surface comes in contact
with a wet, contaminated surface, the sterile
object or field becomes contaminated by
capillary action.
• 6. Fluid flows in the direction of gravity.
• 7. The edges of a sterile field or container are
considered to be contaminated.

16. CONTROL OR ELIMINATION OF INFECTIOUS AGENTS
Cleansing is the removal of all foreign materials such as soil & organic material from
objects. Generally, cleansing involves use of water & mechanical action with or
without detergents.
- Disposable object has to be discarded.
- Reusable objects must be cleansed thoroughly before disinfection & sterilization.
When cleaning equipment that is soiled by organic material such as blood, fecal
matter, mucus or pus, the nurse applies a mask, protective eyewear, & waterproof
gloves.
• These barriers provide protection from infectious organisms.
• A brush, detergent or soap are needed for cleaning.

17. Sterilization , disinfection and
decontamination
• Cleaning is the removal of visible soil (e.g.,
organic and inorganic material) from objects and
surfaces and normally is accomplished manually
or mechanically using water with detergents or
enzymatic products.
• Disinfection describes a process that eliminates
many or all microorganisms, with the exception
of bacterial spores, from inanimate objects.
• Sterilization is the complete elimination or
destruction of all microorganisms, including
spores.

18. Sterilization
• Sterilization describes a process that destroys
or eliminates all forms of microbial life and is
carried out in health-care facilities by physical
or chemical methods.
• Steam under pressure, dry heat, EtO gas,
hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, and liquid
chemicals are the principal sterilizing agents
used in health-care facilities.

19. Sterilization(cont)
• Moist Heat : To sterilize with moist heat (such as
with an autoclave), steam under pressure is used
because it attains temperatures higher than the
boiling point.
• Gas : Ethylene oxide gas destroys microorganisms
by interfering with their metabolic processes. It is
also effective against spores. Its advantages are
good penetration and effectiveness for heat-
sensitive items. Its major disadvantage is its
toxicity to humans.

20. cont
• Boiling Water : This is the most practical and
inexpensive method for sterilizing in the home.
The main disadvantage is that spores and some
viruses are not killed by this method. Boiling a
minimum of 15 minutes is advised for disinfection
of articles in the home.
• Radiation: Both ionizing (such as alpha, beta, and
x-rays) and nonionizing (ultraviolet light) radiation
are used for disinfection and sterilization.

21. Disinfection
• Disinfection describes a process that eliminates
many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except
bacterial spores, on inanimate objects.
• In health-care settings, objects usually are
disinfected by liquid chemicals or wet
pasteurization.
• Each of the various factors that affect the efficacy
of disinfection can nullify or limit the efficacy of
the process.

22. cont
• An antiseptic is a chemical preparation used on
skin or tissue. A disinfectant is a chemical
preparation, such as phenol or iodine
compounds, used on inanimate objects.
• Both antiseptics and disinfectants are said to
have bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties. A
bactericidal preparation destroys bacteria,
whereas a bacteriostatic preparation prevents
the growth and reproduction of some bacteria.

23. When disinfecting consider the following:
1. The type and number of infectious organisms. Some
microorganisms are readily destroyed, whereas others
require longer contact with the disinfectant.
2. The recommended concentration of the disinfectant
and the duration of contact.
3. The presence of soap. Some disinfectants are
ineffective in the presence of soap or detergent.
4. The presence of organic materials. The presence of
saliva, blood, pus, or excretions can readily inactivate
many disinfectants.
5. The surface areas to be treated. The disinfecting agent
must come into contact with all surfaces and areas.

24. • Unlike sterilization, disinfection is not sporicidal.
• A few disinfectants will kill spores with prolonged exposure times
(3–12 hours); these are called chemical sterilants. At similar
concentrations but with shorter exposure periods (e.g., 20 minutes
for 2% glutaraldehyde), these same disinfectants will kill all
microorganisms except large numbers of bacterial spores; they are
called high-level disinfectants.
• Low-level disinfectants can kill most vegetative bacteria, some
fungi, and some viruses in a practical period of time (≤10 minutes).
Intermediate-level disinfectants might be cidal for mycobacteria,
vegetative bacteria, most viruses, and most fungi but do not
necessarily kill bacterial spores. Germicides differ markedly,
primarily in their antimicrobial spectrum and rapidity of action.

25. Decontamination
• Decontamination is a term used to describe a
process or treatment that renders a medical
device, instrument, or environmental surface
safe to handle. Sterilization, disinfection, and
antisepsis are all forms of decontamination.

26. • The use of physical or chemical means to remove,
inactivate, pathogens on a surface or item to the
point where they are no longer capable of
transmitting infectious particles and the surface
or item is rendered safe for handling, use, or
disposal is termed as decontamination.
• Decontamination is the combination of
processes, including cleaning, disinfection and/or
sterilization, used to make a re-usable item safe
for further use on patients

27. • Cleaning is the act of removing visible organic residue (e.g. blood and
tissue) and inorganic salts from patient care equipment and preparing it
for safe handling and/or further decontamination. Cleaning also removes
sufficient numbers of microorganisms to reduce risks for those who touch
or handle the object .
• Disinfection is thermal or chemical destruction of most pathogenic and
other types of microorganisms, but not all bacterial spores .
• Whereas sterilization destroys all microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi,
and parasites) including bacterial endospores from inanimate objects by
high-pressure steam (autoclave), dry heat (oven), chemical sterilants or
radiation .
• In this regard, strict compliance with the recommended decontamination
process at all level is required. Since failure to properly disinfect or sterilize
equipment carries not the only risk associated with a breach of host
barriers but also the risk for person-to-person transmission (e.g., hepatitis
B virus) and transmission of environmental pathogens (e.g., Pseudomonas
aeruginosa) .

28. Decontamination methods
• (1) physically remove contaminants,
• (2) inactivate contaminants by chemical
detoxification or disinfection/sterilization, or
• (3) remove contaminants by a combination of
both physical and chemical means.

29. Factors to be consider when
decontamination
• prior cleaning of the object; organic and inorganic load
present;
• type and level of microbial contamination;
• concentration of and exposure time to the germicide;
• physical nature of the object (e.g., crevices, hinges, and
lumens); presence of biofilms;
• temperature and pH of the disinfection process; and in
some cases,
• relative humidity of the sterilization process (e.g.,
ethylene oxide).

30. THE PRINCIPLES OF ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE IN WOUND CARE
• Medical Hand Washing – cleaning of trolley, opening the dressing pack, to cleaning
the wound.
• Surgical Hand Washing – scrubbing in surgery.
• Gowns & Aprons- protective clothing is used to reduce bacterial spread by contact
(nurse’s uniforms become heavily contaminated during clinical procedures.
• Gloves –The purpose of wearing gloves is both to protect the hands from
contamination by micro-organisms and to prevent the transfer of micro-organisms
already on the hands.
• Single-use- irrigation devices should not be used for multi-use purposes as there is
potential for cross-infection between pts. e.g., IV lines & buckets.

31. Standard precaution
• Standard precaution are the minimum infection
prevention practices that apply to all patient care,
regardless of suspected or comfirm infection
status of the patient in any setting where health
care is deliverd.which include;
• Hand hygiene, Donning and Doffing sterile glove.
• Use of PPE [ personal protective equievement’ eg
gloves,mask,eyewear, etc

32. con’t
• Respiratory hygiene and cought etiquete eg
droplet, or airborn.
• Sharp/needle safe
• Safe injection practice
• Sterile instrument and devices
• Clean and disinfected environmental surface