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 means "without microorganisms."   

 refers to practices
that help reduce the risk of post procedure infections in clients by decreasing the
likelihood that microorganisms will enter the body during clinical procedures.
Some of these practices are also designed to reduce service providers' risk of
exposure to potentially infectious blood and and tissue during clinical procedures.

Aseptic techniques are those that do some or all of the following:

 3emove or kill microorganisms from hands and objects.

 amploy sterile instruments and other items.

 3educe clients' risk of exposure to microorganisms that cannot be removed.

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 During examinations or invasive procedures, service providers may be

exposed to potentially infectious tissue, blood, or other body fluids. Aseptic
technique protects service providers by acting as a barrier against microorganisms.

  The usually harmless microorganisms found on the skin of a service
provider may cause infection when introduced into an area of the body where they
are not normally found, such as into a client's internal organs during surgery. These
normal flora can also cause infection in an immunocompromised person, who is
especially susceptible to infection. Clients are also at risk of acquiring infections
when bacteria from the client's own skin infect a wound, when tissue has been
damaged due to rough or excessive manipulation during surgery, or when
excessive bleeding makes the tissue susceptible to invasion by microorganisms.
Aseptic technique adequately prepares clients for surgery, safeguardes against
excessive manipulation, and protects clients from microorganisms in the
environment and on the service provider's skin, clothes, and hair.

  If their hands are contaminated, or if they become infected from
exposure to bloodborne diseases, staff members can spread infections to their
partners, friends, or family members. Infections acquired by both clients and staff
can lead to increased infections throughout the community, since these infections
can continue to be passed on to others.
  
 


Aseptic technique refers to the practices performed immediately before and during
a clinical procedure to reduce postoperative infection. These include:

 ëandwashing

 Surgical scrub

 sing barriers (surgical attire)

 Client prep (preparing a client for clinical procedures)

 Gaintaining a sterile field

 sing safe operative technique (making small incisions, avoiding trauma to

tissue and surrounding structures, and controlling bleeding)

 Gaintaining a safer environment in the surgical/procedure area

x

     

Aseptic technique is a method that is designed to reduce the risk of microbial
contamination in a vulnerable body site. This may include such procedures as
undertaking a wound dressing or performing an invasive procedure such as
inserting a urinary catheter or preparing an intravenous infusion.

   


Prepare the setting including decontamination of the working surface or tray
to be used with detergent and water or detergent wipes and then dry.
3emove hand and wrist jewellery.
Perform hand hygiene in accordance with ëand ëygiene Policy. The type of
hand hygiene will depend on the procedure e.g. surgical hand hygiene is
required prior to major invasive procedures such as surgery or central venous
catheter insertion. Conversely routine hand hygiene with alcohol gel is
adequate before wound dressings, IV drug administration or peripheral
cannula insertion.
The extent of the use of drapes and protective clothing will also depend on
the type of procedure and its complexity. For example:
large drapes and maximal barrier precautions are always required for
surgical procedures and central venous catheter insertion
sterile gloves and a plastic apron and a small drape for wound dressing
procedures
clean non sterile gloves and a plastic apron are adequate for phlebotomy and
IV drug administration as long as a non touch aseptic technique is used (see
1.5).
Assemble all appropriate packaged sterile items for the procedure. Check
packaging is intact and expiry date has not been exceeded.
When opening packaged sterile items, such as needles and syringes, do so by
peeling back the packaging.
If possible, avoid exposing or dressing wounds or performing any other
aseptic procedure for at least 30 minutes after bed making or domestic
cleaning has concluded
3emove soiled dressings carefully (a large amount of micro organisms are
shed into the air) using the inverted yellow bag or gloves to protect hands
axpose wounds for the minimum time to avoid contamination and maintain
temperature
Change gloves and decontaminate hands again at any stage when
contamination has occurred. NaVa3 apply hand hygiene products to your
gloved hands.
Perform the procedure, including skin preparation where applicable,
avoiding accidental contamination of sterile equipment/vulnerable site
Solutions used to irrigate/cleanse wounds must be sterile
1.2    
  
When clean, non sterile gloves are worn rather than sterile gloves a µnon
touch aseptic technique is required to maintain asepsis. This means avoiding
touching key parts of the equipment (and the patient) used during the
procedure. In general, this means avoiding touching:
sterile equipment that will be used invasively e,g, the tip of a needle or hub
of cannula;
sterile products used for preparing solutions for injection e.g. the hub of the
syringe or tip of a needle;
the surface of a sterile dressing that will be in contact with the wound
seals of IV connectors that have been disinfected prior to administration of
medication
skin after it has been disinfected prior to phlebotomy or cannulation.
open wounds and invasive device sites
 This is a modified technique that can be used for dressing chronic wounds
healing by secondary intention, e.g. pressure sores, leg ulcers, dehisced wounds,
which will already be heavily colonised with environmental microorganisms. It
can also be used for simple grazes; when removing sutures; and for endo-
tracheal suction. Clean, non-sterile gloves should be worn and a disposable
plastic apron. In addition chronic wounds may be irrigated or cleansed using
potable/drinking tap water rather than sterile fluids.


-    


 
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Dispose of single-use items after one use

Dispose of single patient use items after treatment
Decontaminate re-usable items according to local policy and manufacturer¶s
instructions
Store sterile equipment in clean, dry conditions, off the floor
Dispose of waste as per local policy
Ginimise interventions that result in a break in closed systems e.g. manipulation
of IV lines


 x x Technique Comments
     


 



 x 
 x

Procedure
Central venous catheter insertion Aseptic Surgical hand
hygiene
Gaximum barrier
precautions
Chest drain insertion Aseptic Surgical hand
hygiene
Gaximum barrier
precautions
Cervical smear Clean se a sterilised
speculum
apidural Aseptic Surgical hand
hygiene
Gaximum barrier
precautions
Gastrostomy or jejunotomy tube Aseptic Surgical hand
insertion (endoscopic/ surgical or hygiene
radiological guidance) Gaximum barrier
precautions
Lumbar puncture Aseptic Surgical hand
hygiene
Gaximum barrier
precautions
Indwelling urinary catheter Aseptic 3outine hand hygiene
insertion Sterile gloves and
single use disposable
apron
Intermittent urethral Clean in patient¶s 3outine hand hygiene
catheterisation home Sterile gloves and
Aseptic in hospital single use disposable
apron in hospital
ID insertion Aseptic Surgical hand
hygiene required
 

 
  


Airborne particulate matter can be of organic or inorganic origin. Gost

contamination-control problems concern the total contamination within the air.
Airborne particles range in size from 0.001 microns to several hundred microns.

Before any methods of contamination control of airborne particles can be

successfully applied, a decision must be made as to how critical this particulate
matter is to the process or operation in question. At the same time, consideration
must be given to the quantity of particles of a given size that might be present at a
specific point within an area.

Since a definite relationship exists between the size of a particle and the time in
which it may be airborne, it is most meaningful to discuss particles by quantity of a
given size. Both Fed. Std. 209-a and AF Technical Order T.O.00-25-203 show
typical relationships.

To further analyze your contamination control requirements, the source of

contamination should be considered. Basically, this is divided into external sources
and internal sources.

For any given space there exists the external influence of atmospheric
contamination, which inevitably finds its way into all areas of our working
environment. This external contamination is generally introduced through air-
conditioning systems which supply the workspace. In addition, external
contamination can infiltrate through doors, penetrations or cracks within the
enclosure. This contamination can generally be controlled by the level of filtration
utilized in conjunction with clean-area pressurization.

Internal sources of contamination are caused through the introduction of

equipment, material and personnel within an area. Contamination is created by
every activity involving friction between surfaces. For example, the simple act of
writing with a pencil on a piece of paper creates a cloud of very fine carbon
particles and paper fibers. aven the movement of two pieces of metal together can
generate very small particulate matter which can become airborne to form a very
fine metallic dust. ëowever, the greatest source of internal contamination is
people. We continually shed particles. Flakes of dry skin, fabric fibers or loose hair
are only some the sources that could destroy your critical manufacturing process.
The amount generated can vary from as few as several hundred particles per hour
to several thousand.

x

    Aseptic Technique Approved by

Infection Control Comm

   

Federal standards have been established for room air cleanliness which describe
how clean the air is in a given area. Per Federal Standard 209a, numeric
classification means how many particles larger than 0.5 microns are acceptable
within a classified clean environment. ëence, a Class 100 environment would
mean that no more than 100 particles larger than 0.5 microns would exist in any
given cubic foot of air, Class 1,000 would mean 1,000 particles and so on.

Air Crafters clean rooms, enclosures and laminar flow work stations will remove
airborne particles through ëaPA or LPA filtration of air entering an
environment. Our standard ëaPA filter will intercept and trap 99.99% of all
particles 0.3 microns or larger, to meet or exceed Class 100 standards for
particulate control. The use of LPA filtration will boost your environment
classification to Class 10. The required level of cleanliness will vary from process
to process.

 

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When the total air volume within a space moves in one direction at a uniform
speed of between 70 - 120 FPG, its individual molecules assume parallel paths, or
streamlines. The physics of this phenomenon allow for these streamlines of air to
bend around objects and obstacles without losing laminarity or losing the particles
which they carry.

Gaintaining air flow laminarity within clean areas -and around and over your
processes- will keep airborne contaminants (emanating from workers, nearby
shedding processes and products) from fouling your critical process. The principle
of laminar air flow is vital in contamination control. Air flow laminarity is a major
component in the design and maintenance of clean environments.
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A micron (micrometer) is one-millionth of a meter, (10-6m). In the anglish system,

a micron equals approximately 0.000003937 inch.

Some examples of relative size might be useful for comparison purposes.

Typically, the naked eye can see particles only as small as 40 microns; a human
hair is approximately 100 microns in diameter; milled flour can contain particles as
small as 1 micron; tobacco smoke is composed of particles as minute as .01
microns and as large as 1 micron; bacteria range in size from 0.3 microns to 30
microns