In addition, classes for chemical germicide use are related to their sterilization or disinfection capabilities. 10 Each category requires different levels of infection control based on: (1) potential for patient contact (2) frequency of hand contact and (3) potential contamination of the surface with body substances or pathogens. 7 Environmental surfaces are included in the noncritical item category and are further subdivided as either housekeeping or clinical-contact surfaces ( Table 2) according to the most recent modification of the Spaulding system for classification of disinfectants. 9 Patient care items and equipment are classified into one of three categories: critical, semicritical, and noncritical, as presented in Table 1. Where do environmental surfaces and disinfection fit into the classification scheme for contaminated items?Ī standard system of classification for chemical sterilants and disinfectants was originally proposed by Spaulding in 1972, 8 with a subsequent updated modification in 1991. In an effort to address representative concerns, the following discussion will use a question-and-answer format to review, among other issues, basic principles of environmental asepsis, classification and regulation of commercially available products, and product use and misuse. Despite extensive literature on this subject, many of the common questions asked by clinicians and their clinical personnel center around what type and/or brand of disinfectant or disposable cover to purchase. 1-7ĭental health care workers (DHCW) are faced with many product choices, and unfortunately they sometimes come upon information that can be confusing, thereby making purchasing decisions difficult. Over the years, a number of formulations and technologies have become available, and the area of environmental asepsis continues to be emphasized in Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and American Dental Association (ADA) infection control recommendations. Molinari, PhDĬhemical disinfectants serve a very useful purpose in infection control, because many operatory surfaces become routinely coated with saliva, blood, exudate, and other debris, and these surfaces require cleaning with appropriate disinfection when it is not feasible to use disposable covers. Sign up today!Įnvironmental Surface Asepsis: Principles, Applications, and Issues John A.
#UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF ASEPSIS REGISTRATION#
Registration on AEGIS Dental Network is free. Sterile packing should still be applied, as well as a sterile dressing, but clean technique would generally apply in this case, which is more appropriate for the cleansing of a heavily exuding wound Thus, it is appropriate, for example, for patients who are not at high risk for infection and for patients who require routine dressings for chronic wounds such as venous ulcers, or wounds healing by secondary intention with granulation tissue ( Wooten and Hawkins, 2001 Kent et al, 2018).You must be signed in to read the rest of this article. This is especially true in the case of large wounds that require many dressings, including packing of the wound for heavy exudate. Clean technique is considered most appropriate for long-term and home care, and so is applicable most commonly as the most aseptic way of changing a dressing in community nursing practice. Wound dressings would be opened onto the sterile field in a sterile-to-sterile technique. Minimal transference is used in both cases, where gloves do not repeatedly go from the wound or patient, back to a sterile pack and then back again to the wound. The sterile-to-sterile policy means that only sterile gloves that are clean and new out of their packet can be used before touching any sterile surface. Clean technique would involve clean hands and clean-but not necessarily sterile-latex gloves.
This means that sterile technique requirements, such as wearing clean sterile gloves before touching any sterile surface, for example, a dressing field, do not apply. The main difference between the two is that, unlike aseptic technique, clean technique does not require ‘sterile-to-sterile’ ( Rowley et al, 2010). The technique involves care delivery using methods that prevent the transmission of microorganisms, such as by meticulous handwashing maintaining a clean environment by preparing a clean field using personal protective equipment, such as clean gloves and sterile instruments and preventing direct contamination of materials and supplies.
#UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF ASEPSIS FREE#
On the other hand, clean technique is a slightly less sterile technique, but the term still indicates free of dirt, marks or stains.
The term ‘aseptic technique’ means free from pathogenic microorganisms and is the deliberate prevention of the transfer of organisms from one individual to another by keeping the microbial count to an irreducible minimum ( Rowley et al, 2010).
0 kommentar(er)
