Infection control is a fundamental practice in both professional healthcare environments and everyday home settings to protect people from illness. The spread of pathogenic microorganisms poses a constant threat to health. Clean technique, a foundational method of infection control, serves as the baseline approach for minimizing the movement and growth of these harmful microbes. This systematic set of practices is designed to limit the number of microorganisms present on surfaces, equipment, and hands.
Defining Clean Technique (Medical Asepsis)
Clean technique is formally known as medical asepsis, referring to practices that reduce the presence of microorganisms and prevent their transfer. The primary goal is to significantly reduce the microbial burden to a safe level, preventing the likelihood of infection by controlling the spread of pathogens.
Medical asepsis is based on recognizing what is dirty, what is clean, and how to keep these conditions separate during a procedure. Core practices include thorough hand hygiene, the use of non-sterile gloves, and the meticulous cleaning and disinfection of equipment and surfaces. Maintaining these practices minimizes the transmission of germs in routine care situations.
Distinguishing Clean from Sterile Technique
Clean technique differs from sterile technique, which is also known as surgical asepsis. Sterile technique is a stricter set of protocols aimed at completely eliminating all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, to achieve absolute sterility. This is required for invasive procedures where the body’s natural defenses are bypassed, such as during surgery or the insertion of an indwelling catheter.
Clean technique is appropriate for procedures involving contact with intact skin or mucous membranes that are not normally sterile. For instance, a basic dressing change on a superficial wound often requires only clean technique. Sterile technique demands specialized equipment like sterile gloves, sterile gowns, and the establishment of a sterile field to ensure contact is only made between sterile items.
The distinction is based on the risk of infection to the patient. Sterile technique is reserved for procedures that enter body cavities or break the skin barrier. Clean technique acknowledges that the environment cannot be completely free of germs but focuses on minimizing the number of contaminants introduced.
Common Scenarios for Application
Clean technique is widely applied across many routine health and home care activities to maintain a safe environment. A common scenario is performing routine wound care, such as changing a dressing on a chronic or non-surgical wound. This involves preparing a clean work area, performing hand hygiene, and using non-sterile gloves.
This infection control method is also appropriate for managing various types of medical lines that do not enter a sterile body space. Examples include administering medications through feeding tubes, managing routine tracheostomy care, or administering subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. Furthermore, procedures like taking blood pressure, listening to the chest with a stethoscope, and cleaning shared patient equipment require the consistent application of clean technique to prevent cross-contamination.
The technique relies on thorough handwashing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. By ensuring a clean work surface and wearing non-sterile gloves, the risk of transferring pathogens is significantly reduced.