Aseptic Practices: Preparing the Sterile Field and Staff for Surgery

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering surgical site infection terms, precautions, hand hygiene definitions, gowning/gloving techniques, and sterile field maintenance.

Surgical Site Infection (SSI)

A type of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) that occurs in the part of the body where a surgery took place, such as skin, tissue, organs, or implanted material.

Pathogenic Microorganisms

Microorganisms that cause disease, most commonly associated with SSIs including Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and Enterococcus species.

Endotoxin

Part of the outer wall of gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas that is released when the bacterial cell is destroyed.

Endogenous Sources of Infection

Infection sources directly related to microorganisms found on the skin, in mucous membranes, and in hollow viscera of the patient.

Exogenous Sources of Infection

Infection sources originating from the environment and other people, including surgical technique, procedure length, personnel, and extended preoperative hospital stays.

Colonized Individual

An individual who carries a microorganism but is not infected, serving as a potential transmission source in the operating room.

Standard Precautions

An infection control practice established in 1996 considering blood and body fluids of all patients as potentially infectious, applying to blood, all body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat.

Transmission-Based Precautions

Infection control measures used in addition to standard precautions for patients known or suspected to be infected or colonized with infectious agents; includes airborne, droplet, and contact precautions.

Airborne Precautions

Precautions appropriate for pathogens 5 microns or smaller spread by airborne transmission (such as rubella, tuberculosis, and varicella), requiring N95 masks and special air handling.

Droplet Precautions

Precautions appropriate for pathogens transmitted through droplets 5 microns or larger (such as influenza and mumps), requiring a mask within 3 feet of the patient.

Contact Precautions

Precautions used for patients known or suspected to be infected or colonized with microorganisms transmitted by direct or indirect contact, requiring gloves, gowns, and equipment cleaning/disinfection.

Surgical Site Preparation Areas

Anatomical boundary guidelines for prepping surgical sites such as abdomen, chest/breast, lateral/thoracotomy, rectoperitoneal/vaginal, abdominal/perineal, and knee/lower leg.

Alcohol-Based Hand Rub

A product containing 60-95% alcohol available in rinses, gels, and foams intended for application to the hands to reduce microorganisms without requiring a scrub sponge/brush.

Alcohol-Based Surgical Hand Antiseptics

A product containing alcohol and another antiseptic agent that does not require the use of a scrub sponge/brush or sponge.

Antiseptic Agent

An antimicrobial substance applied to the skin to reduce the number of resident and transient microbial flora.

Resident Microorganisms

Microorganisms that are permanent residents of the skin.

Transient Microorganisms

Microorganisms found on the skin that are easily removed with a soap and water hand wash or an antimicrobial hand rub agent.

Surgical Hand Antisepsis

Antiseptic hand wash or antiseptic hand rub performed prior to surgery by surgical personnel to eliminate transient microorganisms and reduce resident hand flora.

Mechanical Washing

The removal of dirt, oils, and microorganisms by means of friction.

Antisepsis

The prevention of sepsis by the exclusion, destruction, or inhibition of growth or multiplication of microorganisms from body tissues and fluids.

Double Gloving

The practice of wearing a second pair of gloves over the first to reduce skin contact with blood and body fluids and decrease the risk of inner glove perforations.

Closed Gloving Technique

The preferred self-gloving method where scrubbed hands remain inside the gown sleeves while stretching the glove cuffs over the stockinette cuffs.

Open Gloving Technique

A gloving method where the surgically clean hand contacts only the inside everted cuff of the sterile glove, commonly used when replacing a contaminated glove during surgery.

Assisted Gowning and Gloving

The procedure in which a scrubbed team member assists another by holding the folded gown and stretching the sterile glove opening wide for hand insertion.

Gown and Glove Removal Technique

The protocol of pulling the gown forward inside-out over gloved hands prior to peeling off gloves to prevent bare skin contact with contaminated surfaces.

Disposable Glove Removal Steps

A six-step removal process involving pinching near the palm/wrist, pulling off slowly inside-out, wadding the glove, and slipping an ungloved pinky inside the remaining cuff.

Incise Drapes

Plastic drapes with adhesive backing that adhere directly to the skin at the operative site, allowing the surgical incision to be made directly through the plastic.

Aperture Drape

A small, clear fenestrated plastic drape frequently used in eye and ear procedures.

Sterile Field

A sterile environment created using sterile drapes to isolate the operative site and sterile supplies from surrounding nonsterile areas.