Medical and surgical asepsis

• One major concern for healthcare workers in healthcare facilities and hospitals is infection control
• Antiseptic is a chemical solution that inhibits the growth of some microorganisms
• Contamination denotes the contact of a sterile or aseptic item with microorganisms
• Decontamination is the process where physical or chemical means are used to remove contaminants
• Disinfection is the process of using physical or chemical means to destroy pathogens, excluding the spores
• The most common Healthcare-associated infection is urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Iatrogenic infection is an infection that is acquired in the course of undergoing diagnostic tests or therapeutic procedures
• Mode of transmission refers to the manner in which the infectious organism is acquired by the host
• Standard precautions are specific measures used to prevent the spread of infection among all patients and healthcare workers
• Sterilization is the process by which all pathogens are destroyed
• Asepsis is a condition in which the individual and their surrounding environment are free of any microorganisms
• Medical or clean asepsis refers to the absence of disease-causing microorganisms
• Surgical or sterile asepsis refers to the absence of all microorganisms
• The most commonly used gloves are:

  • Examination gloves: may be sterile or non-sterile
  • Surgical gloves: sterile
• Contact precautions refer to the spread of infections or infectious agents transmitted through touching of patients
• Droplet precautions refer to the spread in tiny droplets caused by coughing and sneezing
• Droplets are spread when an individual coughs or sneezes and can travel a distance of approximately 3 feet (90 centimeters)
• Airborne precautions refer to the spread of disease or infectious agents transmitted through the air from one person to another
• Infection control is one of the major concerns that healthcare workers in healthcare facilities and hospitals constantly address
• Antiseptic is a chemical solution that inhibits the growth of some microorganisms
• Contamination denotes contact of a sterile or aseptic item with microorganisms
• Decontamination is the process where physical or chemical means are used to remove contaminants
• Disinfection is the process of using physical or chemical means to destroy pathogens, excluding the spores
• Iatrogenic infection is an infection that is acquired in the course of undergoing diagnostic tests or therapeutic procedures
• Mode of transmission refers to the manner in which the infectious organism is acquired by the host
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) is specialized equipment and attire used by healthcare workers to protect them from infections
• Standard precautions are specific measures used to prevent the spread of infection among all patients and healthcare workers
• Sterilization is the process by which all pathogens are destroyed
• Asepsis is a condition in which the individual and his/her surrounding environment are free of any microorganisms
• Sepsis refers to the clinical condition where an individual develops a systemic reaction to a bacterial infection
• Medical or Clean asepsis refers to the absence of disease-causing microorganisms
• Surgical or Sterile asepsis refers to the absence of all microorganisms
• Examination gloves are the most commonly used gloves and may be sterile or non-sterile
• Surgical gloves are sterile
• Contact precautions refer to the spread of infections or infectious agents transmitted through touching of patients
• Droplet precautions refer to the spread in tiny droplets caused by coughing and sneezing
• Droplets are spread when the individual coughs or sneezes and can travel a distance of approximately 3 feet (90 centimeters)
• Airborne precautions refer to the spread of disease or infectious agents transmitted through the air from one person to another