This essay it will explain the Aseptic Technique and how it is used to prevent the spread of infection in wounds. It will also give a personal experience of performing the technique.

Hart (2004) states the principle of Aseptic Technique is to prevent the spread of micro organisms to wounds and to protects the nurse and patient from healthcare-associated infections (HCIA). The technique used for less invasive procedures such as intravenous drugs and wound care is the Aseptic No-touch Technique (ANTT) (Pratt et al 2007).

The key aspects of this skill are consent, preparation and prevention. The nurse must obtain consent from the patient and explain the procedure. The patient must be made comfortable and placed in a suitable position as the technique may take some time to conduct, the nurse must be able to have access to the wound to prevent any additional contamination.
ANTT should be carried out in a quite calm environment, cleaning should be done at least half an hour before and adjacent windows should be shut as this allows for airborne contamination to settle (Dietze et al 2001).

Preparation is vital for the ANTT, equipment used should be sterile, in date, undamaged and that correct storage has been used (Department of Health DoH 2003). Guidelines on hand washing have been devised by DoH (2005) as it recognises that most HCIAs are spread through inappropriate hand washing. Hands should be washed immediately before and after the ANTT to prevent the spread of infection. Observation of the wound is important any symptoms of swelling, inflammation or purulent discharge (pus) should be recorded and then swabbed and sent for testing. Cleaning of the wound is achieved by using saline solution and sterile gauze wipes, any visible debris should wiped away gently and any splash back of solution should be avoided. The nurse should then pat dry the wound so that the