Asepsis and Aseptic Surgical Techniques
Basic principles of aseptic techniques are important in all aspects of medicine, but strict adherence to aseptic principles is especially important with surgical procedures to prevent clinical infections.
Aseptic techniques are required for survival surgery in both rodent and non-rodent species. While absolute sterility cannot always be attained, every effort should be made to approach it by adhering to standard aseptic techniques. Participants will be instructed on and given the opportunity to practice:
- Preparation of surgical instruments and equipment for sterilization (wrapping and packaging)
- Preparation of the animal patient for surgery (clipping hair and preparation of the incision site)
- Preparation of the surgeon (methods of surgical scrubbing, gowning, and gloving)
- Preparation of the surgical environment
- Establishing and maintaining a sterile field