Pathogens may introduce infection to the patient through contact with the environment, personnel, or equipment. DescriptionĪseptic technique can be applied in any clinical setting. Aseptic technique is vital in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with surgical infections. Surgical site infections are the third most common nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infection and are responsible for longer hospital stays and increased costs to the patient and hospital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 27 million surgical procedures are performed in the United States each year. Often, practices that clean (remove dirt and other impurities), sanitize (reduce the number of microorganisms to safe levels), or disinfect (remove most microorganisms but not highly resistant ones) are not sufficient to prevent infection. The goals of aseptic technique are to protect the patient from infection and to prevent the spread of pathogens. PurposeĪseptic technique is employed to maximize and maintain asepsis, the absence of pathogenic organisms, in the clinical setting. Aseptic technique is a set of specific practices and procedures performed by health-care personnel under carefully controlled conditions with the goal of minimizing contamination by pathogens.
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