Medical Asepsis Flashcards
What is Asepsis?
Absence of disease-causing organisms; using methods to prevent infection
What is medical asepsis?
Practices designed to reduce the number, growth and spread of disease-causing microorganisms (“Clean”)
What is surgical asepsis?
“Sterile” technique, absence of microorganisms
What is resident/normal flora?
Lives in an area of the body without causing disease
What procedures and practices minimize the number and transfer of pathogens?
Wearing gloves and performing hand hygiene (medical asepsis)
Give examples of procedures when sterile asepsis is indicated
Certain diagnostic testing, operating room, labor and delivery areas, patient beside such as inserting urinary catheter (surgical asepsis)
What is the MOST effective way to help prevent spread of infectious agents?
Hand Hygiene
What are the five moments for Hand Hygiene?
- Before touching a patient
- Before a clean or aseptic procedure
- After a body fluid exposure risk
- After touching a patient
- After touching patient surrounding
How long should hands be washed?
20 seconds
If hands are visibly soiled how long should hands be washed?
Twice the amount
You just left a patients room that had C.diff, do you use alcohol based hand wash or soap and water?
Soap and water
What is the order for doffing PPE?
Gloves, googles/faceshield, gown, mask
What is cleansing?
Soap and water, wear gloves
What is disinfecting?
Using chemical preparations to destroy pathogenic organisms except spores (they are resistant/able to stay dormint)
What is Sterilizing?
Destroys all microorganisms including spores via moist heat, gas, boiling or radiation
