Value of Aseptic Technique

Abstract

Specific Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of aseptic techniques in preventing microbial growth. Methods: Five stations at varying degrees of aseptic technique evaluated the purity of transfers into two different growth media. Stations included a control using proper aseptic technique under a laminar flow hood, “Clean Nurse” used proper aseptic technique on sanitized countertop, “Sloppy Nurse” used no aseptic technique on un-sanitized counter top, “Clumsy Nurse” dropped the syringe on the floor, used no aseptic technique on un-sanitized counter top, and “The Paramedic” used proper aseptic technique on outdoor picnic table. Fluid was transferred from a dextrose and sodium solution 10 times, each time with a new needle, into TSB growth media bags. Then, 1 mL growth media was pulled from GrowMed media vial with 1 mL volume room air and agitated. The remaining room air was ejectedandmedia re-injected back into vial, and repeated ten times using same needle and syringe. Samples placed in an incubator at 29oC and visually checked for signs of bacterial growth after 14 days. The experiment was repeated once. Main Results: Out of the five scenarios that were prepared in duplicate, only one sample yielded contamination. The one positive result was from one sample attained from the “Clumsy Nurse” station. There were 20 samples taken with a total contamination rate of 5%, utilizing the Yates’s chi-square test generated a p value of > 0.01. Conclusion: Although proper aseptic technique is a valuable practice for patient safety, the overall risk to the patient is relatively low.