Aseptic Technique

Question 1

What does Aseptic technique do?

Answer 1

Designed to prevent micro-organisms being introduced to susceptible sites from hands, surfaces and equipment during clinical procedures

Question 2

Aseptic technique: Identify and protect (Key parts and sites)

Answer 2

Key part: Part of equipment that must remain sterile (e.g. forceps tips, scissors and dressing)

Key site: Area of patient (e.g. wound) that must be protected from micro-organisms

Question 3

Aseptic technique: Sequencing

Answer 3

• Must be performed in a sequences that ensures no contamination of key parts or sites
• Ensure the order of tasks is efficient, logical and safe
• Any variation can lead to hospital acquired infection
• Prior to procedure: conduct pain assessment, explain procedure, gain verbal consent, review patients charts

Question 4

Aseptic technique: Environmental control

Answer 4

• Nurse needs to ensure no nearby environmental risk factors (e.g. nearby bed making, nearby food)
• Reduce risk; clean and tidy patient surroundings and trolley and don’t use patients table or bed as patient trolley

Question 5

Standard aseptic technique

Answer 5

• Uses general aseptic field, e.g. basic dressing pack
• Uses non sterile touch and non touch technique
• For relatively simple and short duration procedures
• Use in simple wound dressing sand in carrying out intravenous therapy

Question 6

Surgical aseptic technique

Answer 6

• Uses a critical aseptic field and sterile gloves, full barrier precautions
• Use for technically difficult procedures and involve large key site and have long duration
• E.g. for urinary catheterization or complex or large dressings

Question 7

Maintenance of aseptic field

Answer 7

• Protects key parts and sites from non sterile environment
• Open sterile pack on clean trolley, using fingertips, open sterile pack away from your body
• Use the yellow forceps to lay the items on the sterile field
• Key parts such as dressings and scissors are added to central area
• Need to check expiry date