Note: This action is only applicable if your healthcare service uses aseptic technique in the provision of health care.
Aseptic technique is a set of practices that protect patients and healthcare providers from healthcare-associated infections and protects healthcare providers from contact with blood and body fluids. It should be used when a procedure or medical device enters one or more of the body’s normal defences, such as the skin, mucous membranes or body cavity.
Aseptic technique, when performed correctly will:
- Minimise contamination of key sites
- Protect patients from their own pathogenic microorganisms that may cause infection
- Reduce the transmission of microorganisms
- Maintain the sterility of equipment and key parts used for aseptic procedures.
Aseptic technique is an important patient safety strategy and is an element of standard precautions.
There are five essential principles of aseptic technique:
- Sequencing – ensures that each step in the process is performed in a safe and appropriate order. Sequencing includes assessing for risks to the patient, and healthcare workforce safety and identifying strategies to mitigate these risks prior to starting the procedure
- Environmental control – ensures that factors in the clinical environment that can increase the risk of infection or harm throughout the procedure are assessed and minimised
- Hand hygiene – ensures this is maintained throughout the entire process, including absence of hand and wrist jewellery
- Maintenance of aseptic fields – ensures that the aseptic field and sites are protected throughout the entire process
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) – protects both the clinician and the patient throughout the entire process.
Many of the work practices that form standard precautions are also required for aseptic technique. Examples include hand hygiene and the use of PPE. However, adherence to these practices individually does not constitute aseptic technique.
Prior to commencing any clinical procedure where aseptic technique is required, a risk assessment should be performed and any identified risks should be eliminated or minimised before and during the procedure.
A person who is observing and assessing aseptic technique in the provision of care must also demonstrate that they are competent in aseptic technique prior to assessing other members of the workforce. Theoretical knowledge, or an understanding of aseptic technique alone, are not enough to ensure someone is competent in aseptic technique (see Table 3).
Table 3: Aseptic technique competency
| Someone who understands aseptic technique should be able to: |
Someone who is practically competent in aseptic technique should be able to: |
- Use the correct terminology to describe concepts used in aseptic technique such as key sites, key parts and aseptic fields
- Describe how to assess the risk of infection associated with a particular procedure and how to mitigate those risks
- Describe the correct sequence to perform each step in a procedure to maintain asepsis
- Describe the correct steps to take if asepsis is breached during a procedure
- Describe other factors that may affect asepsis, such as sterile stock storage and handling, environmental and patient factors.
|
- Demonstrate the correct method and sequence to perform a procedure that requires aseptic technique, consistent with local policy or written procedures
- Maintain aseptic technique throughout the procedure
- Use standard precautions during the procedure, including performing hand hygiene, use of person protective equipment (PPE), safe handling and disposal of sharps and waste
- Demonstrate the correct steps to take if the aseptic field is breached during a procedure.
|
