Differences between sterile, non-sterile, surgically clean, and aseptic techniques.
According to Haesler et al. (208), there are various descriptions and definitions of the wound care and dressing techniques. Nevertheless, the terms have been employed interchangeably even as they have remained subject to the individual interpretations. This paper has, therefore, been written with the objective of analyzing the differences between sterile, non-sterile, aspect and surgically clean techniques.
In defining sterile technique, Huang et al. (416) assert that the term sterile is often employed to imply free from any kind of micro-organism. As such, sterile techniques mainly entail the various strategies that are employed in the patient care to minimize the exposure of wounds from microorganism in addition to maintaining the areas and objects as free from any kind of microorganism as feasible. The sterile technique mainly entails the thorough hand washing and utilization of sterile fields, as well as the use of various sterilized instruments. The sterile to sterile rules, on the other hand, entails the employment of sterilized materials and instruments in the dressing and change processes, as well as averting between the sterile materials and instruments and the non-sterile products and surfaces. The use of sterile techniques is regarded as apt within the acute care contexts, for clients at increased risks of contracting infections, as well as for given procedures including the sharp instrument wound debridement (Veitz-Keenan et al., 411).
Consequently, in defining surgically clean technique, Haesler et al. (208) maintain that clean implies being free from aspects such as stains, marks and dirt. Thus, surgically clean techniques entail the use of various strategies aimed at reducing the amount of microorganisms in patient care, with the objective of either prevention or reducing the risks of microorganisms transmission from a given location to another. The surgically clean technique mainly entails thorough hand washing, use of clean gloves, maintenance of cleaner environments through preparation of clean fields, use of sterile instruments, as well as prevention of direct contamination from supplies and materials. In surgically clean technique, the sterile to sterile rules are not applicable. The technique is additionally known as non-sterile technique. Further, the surgically clean technique is regarded as the most suitable for home care, long-term care, as well as in given clinic contexts and particularly for clients who are not faced with elevated risks of infection It may also be used in clients receiving regular dressings for severe wounds including venous ulcers and wounds that are in the process of healing through the secondary intention using the granulation tissue.
On the other hand, in defining aseptic technique, Veitz-Keenan et al. (412) note that aseptic or asepsis refers to the state of being free from microorganisms and pathogens. Thus, the aseptic technique refers to the intentional inhibition of transfer of microorganisms from a given person to another through maintaining of the microbe count to a level that is considered to be an irreducible minimum. In this regard, it can be noted that a number of scholars have further come up with differences in relation to the sterile technique and surgical asepsis employed during surgery and the surgically clean or medical asepsis that entails the procedures for the reduction of the amount of, as well as transmission of microorganisms.
Lastly, in defining non-sterile technique, Huang et al. (418) maintain that while non-sterile implies not free from microorganisms and pathogens, the non-sterile dressings is mainly employed in the protection of open wounds from possible contaminations, and the absorption of drainage. In this regard, the clean aseptic techniques are employed in changing the non-sterile dressings. However, in case of numerous wounds, every wound is often regarded as requiring distinct treatment