ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE IN HEALTHCARE

MICROBIAL GROWTH

• FOLLOWING FACTORS INFLUENCE MICROBIAL GROWTH:• TEMPERATURE• PH, OR THE VALUES USED IN CHEMISTRY TO EXPRESS THE

DEGREES OF ACIDITY OF A SUBSTANCE.• FOOD.• MOISTURE.• OXYGEN.

MICROBIAL GROWTH

• AEROBIC MICROBES – LIVE ONLY IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN.• ANAEROBIC MICROBES – GROW BEST IN THE ABSENCE OF OXYGEN.

CHAIN OF INFECTION

• CHAIN OF INFECTION CONTAINS 6 ELEMENTS. IF BROKEN, INFECTION WILL NOT OCCUR.

SIGNS OF INFECTION

• REDNESS • SWELLING• WARMTH/TEMPERATURE• TENDERNESS• DRAINAGE

ASEPSIS • MEDICAL ASEPSIS• CALLED “CLEAN TECHNIQUE.”• INCLUDES HAND WASHING, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

BARRIERS, AND ROUTINE CLEANING OF THE ENVIRONMENT.• USED TO LIMIT MICROORGANISMS, THEIR GROWTH,

AND TRANSMISSION• SURGICAL ASEPSIS• CALLED “STERILE TECHNIQUE.”• KEEPING AN AREA COMPLETELY FREE OF

MICROORGANISMS • ONLY STERILE OBJECTS CAN COME IN CONTACT WITH

STERILE OBJECTS. OTHERWISE, THEY MUST BE CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED.

LEVELS OF INFECTION CONTROL

• SANITIZATION – CLEANING AND SCRUBBING INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE CONTAMINATED MATERIALS AND MICROORGANISMS

SANITIZING IS MEANT TO REDUCE, NOT KILL, THE OCCURRENCE AND GROWTH OF BACTERIA, VIRUSES AND FUNGI

WHEN YOU SANITIZE, YOU ARE KILLING/REDUCING THE NUMBER OF BACTERIA PRESENT BY 99.9 PERCENT, BUT DOING NOTHING ABOUT VIRUSES AND FUNGUS.

LEVELS OF INFECTION CONTROL

• DISINFECTION – SECOND LEVEL USED ON INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT THAT COME IN CONTACT WITH INTACT MUCOUS MEMBRANE

DISINFECTING A SURFACE WILL “KILL” THE MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS AS CLAIMED ON THE LABEL OF A PARTICULAR PRODUCT.

IN HEALTHCARE, PARTICULARLY INSTRUMENTS, OCCURS BY ULTRASONIC WASHERS, CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS, PHYSICAL AGENTS (BOILING WATER)

LEVELS OF INFECTION CONTROL • STERILIZATION – COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF ALL MICROORGANISMS-

PATHOGENIC, BENEFICIAL, AND HARMLESS- SURFACE OF INSTRUMENT AND EQUIPMENT

SKIN AND HAIR CANNOT BE STERILIZED!

REQUIRED FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS OR SUPPLIES THAT WILL PENETRATE A PATIENT’S SKIN OR ANY OTHER NORMALLY STERILE AREA OF THE BODY.

FIRST SANITIZE IT AND/OR DISINFECT IT.AUTOCLAVINGCHEMICAL (COLD) PROCESSESDRY HEAT PROCESSESGAS PROCESSESMICROWAVE PROCESSES

HSF PG. 505-506

AUTOCLAVE

PRIMARY METHOD OF STERILIZING INSTRUMENTS

STEAM OPERATE AT LOWER TEMPERATURE

MOIST STEAM PERMEATES THE WRAPPING

MOISTURE CAUSES COAGULATION OF PROTEINS CAUSING CELLS TO BURST AND KILLING THEM.

OTHER METHODS OF STERILIZATION

CHEMICAL – USING CHEMICALS SOLUTIONS (CHEMICLAVE) WHEN HEAT CAN’T BE USED

DRY HEAT – USED WHEN CAN’T USE HEAT OR CHEMICALS

GAS – USED IN HOSPITALS TAKES LONGER THAN STEAM

MICROWAVE – LOW PRESSURE STEAM WITH RADIATION TO PRODUCE LOCALIZED HEAT THAT KILLS MICROORGANISMS.

STANDARD PRECAUTIONS

• EVERY PERSON SHOULD BE TREATED AS THOUGH THEY HAVE AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE

►PROTECTIVE BARRIERS►PROPER HAND WASHING►APPROPRIATE DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTE►PROPER CLEANING OF CONTAMINATED AREAS

PROTECTIVE BARRIERS• SINGLE USE DISPOSABLE GLOVES SHOULD BE WORN WHEN IT IS LIKELY

YOU COULD COME IN CONTACT WITH BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS ASSISTING WITH PERSONAL CARE WHEN FRANK (VISIBLE) BLOOD IS PRESENT WHEN CAREGIVER HAS BROKEN AREAS OF SKIN WHEN CLEANING UP BLOOD SPILLS OR BODY FLUIDS

► DO NOT REUSE GLOVES► REMOVE GLOVES PRIOR TO TOUCHING

• NON-CONTAMINATED OBJECTS• ► REMOVE GLOVES PROMPTLY AFTER USE AND WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY• ► USE RESUSCITATION DEVICES,