Medical Asepsis

1. MEDICAL ASEPSIS

2. MEDICAL ASEPSIS

All practices intended to confine a specific
microorganism to a specific area, limiting
their number, growth, and transmission.
(Clean/ dirty/ contaminated)
 Procedures used to protect the client and
his environment from the transmission of
disease producing organisms that can
transmit from one to the other

3. METHODS OF MEDICAL
ASEPSIS
•Isolation precautions
•Hand washing
•Use of gown, mask, gloves, glasses
•Use of disposables, clean surfaces
•Concurrent and terminal disinfection
•Control and teaching of visitors/ relatives
•Developing staff health and hygiene and education
•Preventive vaccination, inoculation and medicines
•Use of labour saving and efficient devices for
aseptic practices

4. ISOLATION PRECAUTIONS
•Isolation – Measures to prevent the
spread of infections or potentially
infectious organisms to health personnel,
client and visitors
•Barrier technique (Reverse isolation) -
Measures to protect highly susceptible
(compromised) clients from infection

5. ISOLATION SYSTEMS USED IN
HEALTH CARE AGENCIES
 Centers for Disease Control & prevention
(CDC) precaution – involves procedures
for -
o Category specific Isolation (CSI)
precaution
o Disease specific isolation (DSI)
precaution
o Universal precaution
 Body Substance Isolation (BSI) system

6. CDC ISOLATION PRECAUTIONS…
oCategory Specific Isolation- Based on 7
categories-
1. Strict Isolation
2. Contact Isolation
3. Respiratory Isolation
4. TB Isolation
5. Enteric precautions
6. Drainage/ secretions precautions
7. Blood/ body fluid precautions

7. CDC ISOLATION PRECAUTIONS…
o Disease Specific Isolation – According to
specific disease conditions
o Universal Precautions – Blood and body fluid
precautions.
 Decrease the risk of transmitting
unidentified pathogens
 Hepatitis B, C, and HIV
 Does not apply to feces, nasal secretions,
sputum, sweat, tears, urine, vomitus unless
they contain visible blood
 Used in conjunction with CSI & DSI

8. BODY SUBSTANCE ISOLATION
•Includes all body parts and secretions
and excretions
•Does not include clients with airborne
diseases
•Follows hand washing, gloving,
gowning, wearing masks, eye wear,
hair and shoe covers
•Adheres to needle destruction and
disposal and proper disposal of waste

9. IMPLEMENTING ISOLATION
PRECAUTIONS
•A nursing responsibility
•Based on comprehensive assessment of the client
 Status of client’s defense system
 Client's ability to implement isolation
precautions
 Source and mode o transmission of infectious
agent
•Follow specific precautions during therapies for
client’s benefit
•Decision made on the method of isolation precaution

10. HAND WASHING
•Cut nails short, remove all jewelry, check for breaks/
cuts in the skin
•Turn on the water, adjust the flow
•Wet hands thoroughly under running water, apply soap
•Hold hands lower than the elbows
•Thoroughly wash and rinse the hands
•Use firm rubbing and circular movements the palm,
back and wrist of each hand. Interlace fingers and
thumbs and move the hands back and forth ---for
10seconds
•Turn off the water
•Dry hands thoroughly with a paper towel

11. USE OF FACE MASKS
• To reduce risk of transmission by droplet contact, air borne
routes and splatters of body substances
• To be worn by –
 Those close to the client (in measles, mumps, Ac resp diseases) – large
particle aerosols travel short distances (1 m of 3 ft)
 All persons entering the room ( in Pulm TB)- small particle aerosols remain
suspended in the air, and thus travel great distances
• Masks – Should have good filtration effectiveness and fit
- Do not carry them in the pocket or around the neck
- Do not use them outside the unit
- Use fresh mask each time (Disposable and non disposable masks)
- Disinfect / Sterilize before next use

12. USE OF FACE MASKS..
•Keep in a clean container near hand washing facility
•Mask should cover mouth and nose
•A secure fit prevents escape of exhaled air and fogging of
eye glasses
•Fit the upper edges of the mask under the frame of eye
glasses
•Avoid talking, sneezing, coughing
•Use only once, and not after it gets moist
•When removing mask first untie the lower strings
•Discard disposable mask in a waste container
•Wash hands

13. EYE WEAR
•Goggles or glasses
•Indicated when body substances may
splatter the face

14. WEARING OF GOWN
•Clean or disposable gowns or plastic gowns
– to protect nurse’s uniform
•Best – The fresh gown/ discard technique
•For repeated use – Provide a stand to hang
on. Follow method to hang the gown
•Remove watch & jewelry
•Follow method to don a clean gown
•Follow precautions to remove a soiled
gown and discard in proper container

15. WEARING OF GLOVE
•To protect the hands
•To protect the client
•Use clean gloves for medical asepsis
•No special technique while wearing clean gloves
•Pull up the gloves to cover the wrist/ sleeves of the
gown
•Wash gloved hand before removing
•No special precautions to remove gloves
•If soiled, then follow precautions to remove them

16. OTHER ISOLATION
PRECAUTIONS
•Client placement – Special rooms. Avoid
transportation to other rooms
•Care of soiled equipment and supplies- disposal,
cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing
•Bagging – Follow colour coding
•Linen – Least handling of soiled linen
•Lab specimens –Leak proof containers with secure
lid. Prevent outside contamination
•Needles and sharps – Avoid recapping. Puncture
resistant container

17. SUPPORTING DEFENSES OF
A SUSCEPTIBLE HOST
•Susceptibility – The degree to which an individual
can be affected. It can be reduced by –
 Hygiene – Mental and physical
 Immunizations
 Nutrition
 Fluid
 Rest & sleep
 Relief from Stress

18. INFECTION CONTROL FOR
HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Occupational exposure from –
oPuncture wounds
oSkin contact
oMucus membrane contact
Precautions with medical asepsis –
oUse appropriate personal protective equipment
oAvoid carelessness in the clinical area
oGood nutrition
oImmunization
oRest & sleep

19. SPECIAL POINTS IN
MEDICAL ASEPTIC METHOD
•Follow proper technique for admitting patients –
Use of gown, mask, gloves, glasses, clean
surfaces, stock supplies ..
•Concurrent disinfection
•Terminal disinfection
•Control and teaching of visitors & relatives
•Staff health & hygiene & health education
•Vaccinations & medications to prevent infections
•Use of labour saving devices and more efficient
methods for aseptic practices

20. Thank You