Surgical Asepsis and anesthesia required.
the Radiographer
• Medical asepsis -defined as any
practice that helps reduce the number
and spread of microorganisms
• Surgical asepsis -defined as the
complete removal of microorganisms and
their spores from the surface of an object
• Any medical procedure that
involves penetration of body tissues (an
invasive procedure) requires the use of
surgical aseptic technique.
“being scrubbed” -Those directly involved in the
operation are dressed in sterile gowns and
sterile gloves
THE SURGICAL TEAM
• Surgeon: the physician who
plans and performs the surgical
procedure and makes surgical decisions.
• Surgical assistant: usually
another surgeon or surgical resident.
• Anesthesiologist: a physician
with special education in anesthesia who
makes the decisions concerning type of
• Nurse anesthetist: a registered
nurse who has had special education in
anesthesia who administers anesthesia
and monitors the anesthetized patient
under the supervision of the
anesthesiologist.
THE SURGICAL TEAM
• Circulating nurse: oversees the
safety of the patient and maintains the
surgical environment; is attired in scrub
suit, cap, mask, and shoe covers, but is
not clothed in sterile attire.
• Scrub nurse or scrub technician:
dons sterile attire and sets up the sterile
fields for the operation.
• Assists the surgeon by
presenting sterile instruments and sterile
equipment needed during the procedure.
• Radiologic technologist: present
at request of the surgeon to perform
imaging procedures; is clothed in a scrub
suit, cap, mask, and shoe covers.
Methods of Sterilization
Steam Under Pressure: Item are double-
wrapped and placed in an autoclave.
Autoclaves are manufactured to sterilize by
gravity displacement and dynamic air removal.
High-speed sterilizers or flash sterilization is an
abbreviated gravity displacement method.
Methods of Sterilization
• Chemical Sterilization: Referred
to as low-temperature sterilization. A
maximum temperature of 54o C to 60o C
of gaseous sterilization is used. An
antimicrobial and sporicidal agent must
be used.
Methods of Sterilization
• Ethylene Oxide: Used for items
that cannot withstand moisture and high
temperatures. All items sterilized in this
manner must be cleansed and dried since
water united with ethylene oxide forms
ethylene glycol, which cannot be
eliminated by aeration and is toxic.
Rules for surgical asepsis
1. Know which areas and objects are sterile and
which are not.
2. If the sterility of an object is questionable, it
is not to be considered sterile.
3. Sterile objects and persons must be kept
separate from those that are nonsterile.
4. When any item that must be sterile becomes
contaminated, the contamination must be
remedied immediately.
5. When tabletops are to be used as areas for
creating a sterile field, they must be clean, and a
sterile drape must be placed over them.
Rules for surgical asepsis
6. Personnel must be clothed in a sterile gown
and sterile gloves if they are to be considered
sterile.
7. Any sterile instrument or sterile area that is
touched by a nonsterile object or person is
considered contaminated by microorganisms.
8. A contaminated area on a sterile field must
be covered by a folded sterile towel or drape of
double thickness.
9. If a sterile person’s gown or gloves become
contaminated, they must be changed.
Rules for surgical asepsis
10. A sterile field must be created just prior to
use.
11. Once a sterile field has been prepared, it
must not be left unattended as it may become
contaminated and presumed to be sterile.
12. An unsterile person does not reach across a
sterile field.
13. A sterile person does not lean over an
unsterile area.
14. A sterile field ends at the level of the
tabletop or at the waist of the sterile person’s
gown.
15. Anything that drops below the tabletop or
sterile person’s waistline is no longer sterile and
may not be brought up to the sterile tabletop.
The only parts of the sterile gown considered
sterile are the areas from the waist to the
shoulders in front and the sleeves from 2 inches
above the elbow to the cuffs.
Rules for surgical asepsis
16. The cuffs of the sterile gown are considered
nonsteril because they collect moisture. Cuffs
must always be covered by sterile gloves.
17. The edges of a sterile wrapper are not
considered sterile and must not touch a sterile • Place the pack on a clean
object. tabletop with the sealed end toward
the radiographer.
18. Sterile drapes are placed by a sterile person.
The sterile person places the drapes on the area
closest to him first to protect his sterile gown. • Remove the outer plastic as

19. A sterile person must remain within the directed and place the sealed end
sterile area. He must not lean on tables or toward
against the wall.
the radiographer.
20. If one sterile person must pass another, they
must pass back-to-back.
If the sterility of an item is questionable, it is
Rules for surgical asepsis
not to be considered sterile.

• 21. The sterile person faces the

sterile field and keeps sterile gloves above
the waist in front of his chest. The sterile
person must avoid touching any area of 3. Open corner 1 back and
his body. away from the pack.

• 22. Any sterile material or pack • Next, open corners

that becomes damp or wet is considered
unsterile. 2 and 3.

• 23. Any objects that are wet • Then open corner 4

with disinfectant solution and are to be
placed on a sterile field must be placed on and drop it toward
a folded sterile towel for the moisture to
be absorbed. the radiographer.

• 24. A wet area on a sterile field Surgical Scrub

must be covered with several thicknesses
of sterile toweling or an impervious
drape. • ??????????????????????????

Opening Sterile Packs


• The radiographer must wear his
radiation detection badge outside of the
lead apron while working in the operating
room.
remaining microbes and acts as a deterrent to
further microbial growth for a brief period of
time. commonly used for skin prep are
chlorhexidine and hexachlorophene.

Skin Preparation for Sterile Procedures

• remove as many
microorganisms as possible by mechanical
and chemical means to reduce the
chances of infection

1. Don sterile gloves.

2. Pick up one sponge permeated with

antiseptic soap and dampen it in the sterile
water.Then begin scrubbin.

usually an area

approximately

6 to 1 inches in

diameter

is prepped.

3. Following the scrub, rinse the skin well with

sterile water or wipe away the lather without
rinsing if that is the institution’s procedure.

4. Blot the skin dry with the sterile towel.

5. Following the initial scrub, the skin around

the area to be penetrated is often painted with
an antiseptic solution. This destroys some of the