In order to understand the meaning of the term asepsis, it is first necessary to discover what its etymological origin is. In this case, we can say that it is a neologism that was shaped, within the field of medicine in the 19th century, but that it comes from the Greek. Thus, we can establish more accurately that it is the result of the sum of several different elements:
-The prefix “a-“, which is a prefix of negation that means “no”.
-The noun “sepsis”, which can be translated as “putrefaction”.
-The suffix “-ia”, which is used to indicate quality.
The concept is used to name the absence of septic elements: that is, of pathogens that can cause disease.
According to DigoPaul, asepsis is the state of that which is free from infection. The notion is also used to name medical processes that, through different actions, allow the body to be protected from the action of infectious microorganisms.
To ensure asepsis, doctors, nurses, and other health personnel must ensure the sterility of the instruments and clothing they use. For sterilization, you can resort to thermal, chemical or physical methods that eliminate pathogens and ensure asepsis. In this way, when they are in contact with a patient, infections do not occur.
The idea of surgical asepsis is used to name sterilization of the environment where invasive interventions are carried out on a person’s body. In an operating room, bacteria cannot exist: otherwise, when an individual undergoes surgery, the microbes could enter their body and trigger an infection. For this reason, scalpels, scissors and the rest of the surgical instruments are sterilized.
In relation to asepsis in the operating room, we can emphasize that a series of important actions must be carried out, such as these:
-The temperature of the place must be between 18º and 21º C, while the humidity must be between 50 % and 60%.
-As for the clothes to wear in the operating room, it is established that the pajamas must be wide, green, cotton and no one should leave the surgical area with them. The caps will be breathable and will cover all the hair while the masks must have 95% filtration.
-The clogs must be clean and have to be made of rubber, because they are much easier to clean.
-Surgical washing is hand washing that is carried out with the appropriate product before putting on the gown and gloves to enter the operating room.
It is known as antiseptics, moreover, the substances that act ensuring the asepsis, inhibiting the growth of infectious microorganisms or destroying. For this reason, when a localized infection erupts, a doctor may indicate the use of an antiseptic with the aim of reversing it.
