Some authors have made a distinction between surgical asepsis or “sterile technique” used in surgery and medical asepsis or “clean technique” that involves procedures to reduce the number and transmission of pathogens. 3 Aseptic technique is the purposeful prevention of the transfer of organisms from one person to another by keeping the microbe count to an irreducible minimum. Asepsis or aseptic means free from pathogenic microorganisms. Clean technique is considered most appropriate for long-term care, home care, and some clinic settings for patients who are not at high risk for infection and for patients receiving routine dressings for chronic wounds such as venous ulcers, or wounds healing by secondary intention with granulation tissue. This technique may also be referred to as non-sterile. Clean technique involves meticulous handwashing, maintaining a clean environment by preparing a clean field, using clean gloves and sterile instruments, and preventing direct contamination of materials and supplies. 3 Clean technique involves strategies used in patient care to reduce the overall number of microorganisms or to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms from one person to another or from one place to another. Clean means free of dirt, marks, or stains. Sterile technique is considered most appropriate in acute care hospital settings, for patients at high risk for infection, and for certain procedures such as sharp instrumental wound debridement. “Sterile to sterile” rules involve the use of only sterile instruments and materials in dressing change procedures and avoiding contact between sterile instruments or materials and any non-sterile surface or products. Sterile technique involves meticulous hand washing, use of a sterile field, use of sterile gloves for application of a sterile dressing, and use of sterile instruments. 3 Sterile technique involves strategies used in patient care to reduce exposure to microorganisms and maintain objects and areas as free from microorganisms as possible. Sterile is generally defined as meaning free from microorganisms. The following definitions provide a point of reference for the terms used in this document. Terms have been used interchangeably and all are subject to individual interpretation. Various definitions and descriptions of dressing technique for wound care exist. Discussion of Problems/Issue/Needs Definition of termsĬlean versus sterile technique. Wound care practices are extremely variable and are frequently based on rituals and traditions as opposed to a scientific foundation. Then as now, areas of controversy exist due to a lack of agreement on the definitions of “clean” and “sterile” technique, lack of consensus as to when each is indicated in the management of chronic wounds, and lack of research to serve as a guide. sterile technique and present approaches for chronic wound care management. 1, 2 Its purpose was to review the evidence about clean vs. This document originated in 2001 as a joint position statement from a collaborative effort of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. To present an update on the status of information about clean versus sterile dressing technique to manage chronic wounds. Updated/Revised: WOCN Wound Committee, 2011 Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) Wound Committee and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.
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