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Aseptic Technique
Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R.N., CCRN, CPN — By Kristeen
Cherney — Updated on September 29, 2018

Uses Types Aseptic vs. clean At home Benefits

Complications Outlook

Healthcare professionals use the aseptic technique to

prevent contamination from pathogens like bacteria and
viruses. It involves applying the strictest rules during
medical procedures to minimize the risk of infection.

The aseptic technique is used in surgery rooms, clinics, outpatient care

centers, and other health care settings.

Bacteria are everywhere, and some are good for us while others are
harmful. Bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that cause disease
are called pathogens. To protect patients from harmful bacteria and other
pathogens during medical procedures, healthcare providers use aseptic
technique.
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What is aseptic technique used for?

Following aseptic technique helps prevent the spread of pathogens that
cause infection.

Healthcare professionals commonly use aseptic technique when they’re:

handling surgery equipment

helping with a baby’s birth by vaginal delivery

handling dialysis catheters

performing dialysis

inserting a chest tube

inserting a urinary catheter
inserting central intravenous (IV) or arterial lines

inserting other draining devices

performing various surgical techniques

Hospital-acquired infection »

Aseptic technique types

According to The Joint Commission, there are four chief aspects of the
aseptic technique: barriers, patient equipment and preparation,
environmental controls, and contact guidelines. Each plays an important
role in infection prevention during a medical procedure.

Barriers

Barriers protect the patient from the transfer of pathogens from a

healthcare worker, from the environment, or from both. Some barriers
used in aseptic technique include:

sterile gloves
sterile gowns
masks for the patient and healthcare provider
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sterile drapes
Sterile barriers are those that have not touched a contaminated surface.
They’re specially packaged and cleaned items. Healthcare workers put
them on or use them in specific ways that minimize exposure to germs.

Patient and Equipment Preparation

Healthcare providers also use sterile equipment and sterile instruments.

To further protect the patient, they apply cleansing and bacteria-killing
preparations to the patient’s skin before a procedure.

Environmental controls

Maintaining a sterile environment requires keeping doors closed during

an operation. Only necessary health personnel should be at the
procedure. The more people present, the more opportunities for harmful
bacteria to cause contamination.

Contact guidelines

Once healthcare providers have on sterile barriers, they should only touch
other sterile items. They should avoid touching nonsterile items at all
costs.

A common procedure that carries a risk for infection is inserting a urinary

catheter. These catheters drain urine from the bladder and are associated
with catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). When
healthcare providers insert a catheter, they demonstrate all four aseptic
techniques in action:

Barriers: They wear sterile gloves.

Patient and equipment preparation: They open sterile packaging
that contains the sterile catheter. They prepare the patient’s skin
with a special solution.

Environmental controls: Only one or two providers and the patient

are in the room.
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Contact guidelines: Healthcare providers take great care not to
touch any nonsterile surface with the hand that advances the
 catheter into the patient’s urethra.

If even one part of the aseptic technique is missed during catheter

insertion, the patient can easily get an infection.
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Aseptic technique vs. clean technique

Keeping the environment as clean as possible is always important in
preventing infections. However, some situations call for aseptic technique
while others call for clean techniques.

Healthcare providers learn both aseptic and clean techniques as part of

their training. The goal of the aseptic technique is to eliminate germs
entirely. The goal of the clean technique is to reduce the number of
germs whenever possible. Clean techniques are important for all
healthcare providers and their patients because they prevent infections
every day.

Examples of clean techniques include washing hands and putting on

clean gloves when needed. Healthcare providers keep a patient’s
surroundings as clean as possible, but they aren’t using sterile items or
aseptic technique.

Healthcare professionals commonly use clean techniques when they’re:

giving an injection
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emptying a urinary catheter drainage bag

 giving a bed bath

inserting a peripheral IV (an IV in a smaller vein)

removing a peripheral IV
removing a urinary catheter

Hygiene habits for kids »

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Aseptic technique at home

While your home isn’t likely a surgery center, there may be a time when
you or a loved one need aseptic technique. For example, you may need
to change a dressing on a wound, and that requires a sterile dressing.

Note: Proper aseptic techniques require training. Before you need to

change the dressing at home, a healthcare specialist should demonstrate
the techniques and have you practice them. To change a sterile dressing,
a person needs sterile gloves and a special dressing change kit or
supplies.

Aseptic technique benefits

Whenever your skin is opened, you’re vulnerable to infection. That’s why
it’s critical for you to get prompt treatment for burns and wounds. Even
intentional cuts during surgery put you at risk for infection. The way 
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healthcare providers use aseptic techniques before, during, and after
your procedure help protect you from infection.
When you need surgery or other procedures that require aseptic
technique, you’re already vulnerable to infections. You need your immune
system to be at its strongest to heal. You have a better chance of a
recovery if you don’t have to fight off an infection.

Aseptic technique complications

Healthcare workers try to minimize several common kinds of healthcare-
associated infections (HAIs) by using aseptic techniques. These include:

CAUTIs (pronounced caught-EASE)

central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs,
pronounced clab-SEES)
surgical site infections

Each of these infections represents a major healthcare concern. Medical

facilities are required to report their infection rates to the federal
government. If their rates are too high, the facility can face disciplinary
action.

HAIs cost healthcare facilities and, more importantly, patients. According

to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , an estimated
37,000 CLABSIs happen each year in people who get dialysis. Treating
these infections costs an average of $23,000. people who get dialysis
often have multiple chronic conditions that can make it even harder to get
over an infection. Preventing the infection in the first place saves lives and
money.

Aseptic technique outcome

The outcome of aseptic technique depends on whether all healthcare
professionals thoroughly follow all procedures. According to the Journal
of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine , 50
percent of HAIs are preventable.


Healthcare professionals
A D V E R T I S E M Eare
NT responsible for following clean and aseptic
techniques. If you notice that someone fails to wash hands or sterilize
equipment, speak up. Doing so may save you or a loved one from
potentially fatal infections.
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Last medically reviewed on June 23, 2017

How we reviewed this article:

SOURCES HISTORY

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we
update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version

Sep 29, 2018

Written By
Kristeen Cherney, PhD

Edited By
Sandra Silva Casabianca MSc

Jun 23, 2017

Medically Reviewed By
Carissa Stephens, RN, CCRN, CPN

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