Answer:
According to the U.S. Joint Commission, there are several different aspects of aseptic technique practices:
barriers
patient and equipment preparation
environmental controls
contact guidelines
Explanation:
Barriers -Barriers prevent the transfer of germs between healthcare professionals, patients, and the environment. Aseptic barriers include: sterile gloves sterile gowns, sterile masks , sterile drapes, protective wrappers on sterilized instruments
Patient and equipment preparation - Healthcare professionals must thoroughly prepare both the patient and the equipment before a medical procedure takes place. Aseptic preparation may involve:
disinfecting a patient’s skin using antiseptic wipes, sterilizing equipment and instruments before a procedure, keeping sterilized instruments inside plastic wrappers to prevent contamination before use
Environmental controls -Healthcare professionals also have to consider the patient’s immediate surroundings. It is essential to maintain an aseptic environment before and during procedures. The designated procedural area is also called an aseptic field. Maintaining an aseptic field involves:
keeping doors closed, minimizing movement in and out of the aseptic field
limiting entry to necessary personnel only, permitting only one patient per aseptic field
contact guidelines - Once a healthcare professional has washed their hands and donned their sterile barriers, they must follow sterile-to-sterile contact guidelines. These guidelines prohibit any contact between sterile and nonsterile items.
At this point, healthcare professionals can only touch sterile objects and surfaces, and they must avoid touching nonsterile items and surfaces at all costs.
The same guidelines apply to sterile devices. If a sterile instrument falls on the ground and the wrapper sustains damage, a healthcare professional must remove the instrument and re-sterilize it before use.
