What is medical asepsis (clean technique)?

• A. Procedures used to reduce and prevent the spread of microorganisms.
• B. Procedures used to eliminate all microorganisms, including pathogens and spores, from an object.
• C. Procedures used to increase the spread of microorganisms.
• D. Procedures used to verify sterile technique.

Answer: (A)

Medical asepsis, or clean technique, focuses on reducing the number of microorganisms and preventing their spread during patient care. This is achieved through practices like thorough hand hygiene, using clean gloves and equipment, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and properly disposing of contaminated materials. It does not aim to eliminate every microorganism—that level of elimination is sterile technique, used for invasive procedures. So medical asepsis lowers risk by interrupting transmission and keeping the environment and hands as clean as possible. The other ideas describe removing all microbes, increasing spread, or checking sterility, which are not what medical asepsis is about.