Aseptic Techniques Flashcards
What is aspesis?
Freedom from infectious material
What is medical asepsis?
Reduction in the number of microorganisms
What is the single most important component of medical asepsis?
Handwashing
What is surgical asepsis?
Microorganisms have been completely removed or destroyed from the equipment and environment by means of sterilization
When should medical asepsis be practiced?
Always
When should surgical asepsis be followed?
For invasive procedures
What are the aseptic techniques that radiographers should adhere to?
- Sterile draping
- Sterile packs
- Sterile scrubbing
- Sterile gowning and gloving
- Sterile procedures
What is a sterile field?
The area is free of all microorganisms
How is a sterile field established?
Using sterile draping
What is a sterile drape?
A sterile packaged drop cloth that isolates an area from contamination
What does a sterile drape cover?
A surface
What are general rules for sterile draping?
- Only use drapes within expiration
- Only use sealed packages
- Open packages adhering to sterile techniques
What happens if a sterile drape becomes wet?
It becomes unsterile
How are sterile drapes opened?
Away from the person opening it
Once opened what is done with a sterile drape?
Its gently dropped onto the sterile field from about 6 inches above the field at a slight angle
What are sterile packs?
Packages that are commercially prepared for a specific procedure that will contain the necessary sterile items
What may be in a Sterile pack?
Gauze, syringes, forceps, basins, and items that will be routinely used
What are types of sterile packs?
- OR sterile packs
- Minor procedure packs
- Special procedure packs
How is a sterile pack opened?
- Hold the pack in the left hand
- Unfold one corner of the wrap at a time and secure each corner in the palm once opened
- Hold the final corner with the right hand to completely cover the hand with the wrap
- Once pack is fully exposed, set it on the sterile field
What is surgical scrubbing?
The thorough cleaning of the hands and forearms before sterile gloving
What are two types of sterile scrubs?
- Numbered stroke method scrub
- Timed scrub
What is the minimum amount of time a surgical scrub should be done?
5 minutes- 2.5 minutes per hand
What scrubbing techniques should be applied when surgical scrubbing?
- Hands should be inspected for breaks in the skin
- Masks and surgical cap put on before scrubbing
What forms of cleaning solutions should be used for surgical scrubbing?
- Liquid or foam soaps
- Impregnated scrub brushes or sponges
- Brush-free surgical scrub
What are the most common products for surgical scrubs?
Liquid or foam soaps that are used in conjunction with water and dry scrub brushes/sponges
What is the most common antimicrobial agent in soaps?
CHG (chlorhexidine gluconate), iodopher or PCMX (parachlorometaxylenol)
What is a common component of antimicrobial agents?
They are very drying and with repeated scrubbing can cause skin damage
What are impregnated scrub brushes/sponges?
Scrub brushes/sponges that are preloaded with CHG, iodophor or PCMX and are water-aided
What aseptic techniques should non-scrubbed personnel follow during surgical procedures?
- remove rings, watches and bracelets
- wear long sleeved clean scrub suit
- wear clean surgical cap or hood that covers hair
- wear closed shoes
- wear masks covering mouth and nose
- Stay at the periphery of the OT
What is the surgical scrub procedure?
- Make sure all cleaning supplies are available
- remove all jewelry, including watches
- Wash hands and arms with antiseptic soap
- Scrub the side of each finger, between the fingers and back and front of hand for 3 minutes
- Scrub the arm with the hands higher than the elbows 3 inches for 1 minutes
- Repeat the process on the other hand and arm
- Dry hands with sterile towel
What is the order the hands should be washed as part of the surgical scrub procedure?
- Palm to palm
- Right palm over the left dorsum and left palm over the right dorsum
- Palm to palm fingers interlaced
- Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked
- Rotational rubbing of right thumb clasped in left and vice versa
- Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa
When is surgical gowning and gloving done?
After surgical scrubbing
What are two methods of gowning?
- Self gowning
- Gowning another
What are two methods of gloving?
- Self gloving
- Gloving another
What do sterile gowning and gloving focus on?
Surgical asepsis
How is self gowning done?
- Dry hands
- Pick up gown
- Let gown unfold
- Open to locate sleeve/arm holes
- Slip arms into sleeves
- Hold arms out and slightly up
- have circulator pull gown on
What are the two methods for self gloving?
Open and closed gloving method
What are the open gloving method steps?
- Grab one glove by the unsterile cuff, open it up and pull it on the hand by pulling the cuff
- Grab the second glove by the sterile fingers and slip onto hand
- Put sterile hand on sterile side of the cuff and unfurl down second hand
What are the closed gloving method steps?
- Grab one glove with hand inside sleeve of sterile gown
- Spread the glove over the entire hand and pull the sleeve to get the glove over the fingers
- Repeat steps above on second hand only touching sterile parts
What are the principles of sterile techniques?
- Only sterile items are used in the sterile fields
- Sterile fields must be continually monitored
- Sterile field created as close to the time of use as possible
- Sterile person should avoid unsterile items
- Anything below the level of the table or waist is considered unsteril
If the sterility of an object is in doubt what should be done?
It should be considered unsterile and removed, replaced or covered
What part of the gown are considered sterile?
One the sleeves and front from the waist up
What part of the gown are considered unsterile?
Back of the gown and area below the waist