Surgical Asepsis (U1)

Question 1

What is surgical asepsis?

Answer 1

‘Surgical technique’ practices that destroys all MOs/spores

Question 2

Three levels of infection control?

Answer 2

Sanitization, disinfection, sterilization

Question 3

Level one of infection control?

Answer 3

Sanitization: The process of cleaning and scrubbing instruments/equipment by washing with detergents and scrubbing as needed
- Clean items that only touch healthy and intact skin

Question 4

Level two of infection control?

Answer 4

Disinfection: Used on instruments that come into contact with intact mucous membranes/other surfaces not considered sterile
- Not beyond skin

Question 5

Level three of infection control?

Answer 5

Sterilization: Complete destruction of all MOs present on the surface of an instrument
- Required all instruments that penetrate into skin/come into contact of normally sterile areas of the body

Question 6

What is sterile field?

Answer 6

Area free of MOs that will be used as a work area during a surgical operation
- Contaminated and must redone if: unsterile item touches the field, someone reaches across the field, field becomes wet

Question 7

What is sterile technique? What is the process?

Answer 7

Procedure that keeps an object/area free from living organisms
- Articles remain away from and in front of body and above waist
- Never reach across sterile field
- Never turn back on sterile field
- Two inch border around is contaminated
- Sterile field must be dry and is above waist

Question 8

Sterile gloving process?

Answer 8

• Only touch outside of packaging with bare hands
• Inside of the wrapper is sterile, where gloves are placed
• Wrapper provides sterile field (when opened)
  -Grasp only outside edge of wrapper

Question 9

Sterile tray/kit process?

Answer 9

Goes onto sterile field, two inch border is dirty

Question 10

Techniques to remove articles from sterile wraps?

Answer 10

Drop technique, mitten technique, transfer forceps

Question 11

What is drop technique?

Answer 11

For gauze, dressings, and small items
- Wrapper= partially opened, held upside, and dropped onto sterile field

Question 12

What is mitten technique?

Answer 12

For bowls, drapes, linens etc
- Using wrap as a mitten, sterile items can be placed on sterile field

Question 13

What is transfer forceps technique?

Answer 13

For cotton balls, small items or articles
- Sterile gloves/transfer forceps used to transfer objects to a sterile field