Asepsis is central to preventing infection in surgery and other areas of medicine. This lesson introduces what asepsis means, distinguishes it from antisepsis and sterility, and follows the historical developments that shaped modern practice.
Asepsis is the state of being free from disease-causing microorganisms, including pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The term also describes practices intended to promote or maintain conditions that prevent infection, particularly around a patient or operative field.
All flashcards
Asepsis
A state free from disease-causing microorganisms, and practices intended to prevent their introduction or spread.
Medical asepsis and surgical asepsis
Medical asepsis reduces microorganisms and their spread; surgical asepsis aims to eliminate them from an area or maintain a sterile field.
Asepsis and sterility
Asepsis aims to prevent infection; sterility means the absence of all biological contaminants.
Ignaz Semmelweis
Demonstrated that hand washing before delivery reduced puerperal fever in 1847–1848.
William Halsted
Promoted sterile operating-room practices and helped develop early rubber surgical gloves after harsh hand-cleaning damaged a nurse’s hands.
Quiz questions
What is the purpose of reverse isolation?Answer: To protect a vulnerable patient from infection brought in by others.
What particular responsibility does the scrub nurse or surgical technologist have?Answer: Setting up and maintaining the sterile field.
What is sterile inflammation?Answer: An inflammatory response that occurs without pathogen-caused infection.
Which tissue is affected by a superficial incisional surgical site infection?Answer: The skin at the incision.
What can damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) do after tissue injury?Answer: Stimulate an immune response through host receptors.
Based on the Wikipedia article Asepsis, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.