Medical Asepsis

prevent the spread of microorganisms (Lee, 2004). Surgical asepsis is a sterile technique that requires nurses to use different precautions than they do for medical asepsis. It includes procedures used to eliminate all microorganisms, including pathogens and spores, from an object or area. Surgical asepsis procedures are followed when performing an invasive procedure into a body cavity normally free of microorganisms. Medical aspesis means clean; surgical asepsis means sterile.

A sterile object remains sterile only when touched by another sterile object (Lee, 2004). Only sterile objects may be placed on a sterile field. A sterile object or field out of the range of vision or an object held below a person's waist is contaminated. The edges of a sterile field or container are considered contaminated. A sterile object or field becomes contaminated by prolonged exposure to air. When a sterile surface comes in contact with a wet contaminated surface, the sterile object or field becomes contaminated by capillary action.

2. The patient should be given Percocet PO in a low dose to

start with because it is safer than Demerol for an elderly person (Percocet, 2004; Demerol, 2004). Demerol can cause respiratory depression more easily in the elderly. Also, since the man has diabetes, he may also have impaired renal function, in which case Demerol is not recommended. Because of his age and his diabetic neurop

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r stress, such as in the case of surgery (Normal, 2004). The maximum heart rate is lower for older adults, but this would not show in the resting pulse. Older people compensate for the lower maximum heart rate with a larger stroke volume. It takes longer for the heart rate and blood pressure to return to normal after stress in the elderly. The heart muscle becomes slightly stiffer, and may increase in size, but the chambers hold less blood as the walls thicken. The blood vessels also become stiffer, and less responsive to hormones that relax the vessel walls. The heart may slow as there is a loss of pacemaker cells, and the blood flow to various organs changes. The baroreceptors become less sensitive with age. In the respiratory system, the lungs become stiffer, respiratory muscle strength and endurance decline, and the chest wall becomes more rigid (Normal, 2004). Vital capacity decreases because residual volume increases, and the alveolar area decreases by about 20 percent. The number of cilia decreases, but the number of mucous producing cells increases, plugging up the airways. Older adults are less sensitive to hypoxia. In the gastrointestinal system of older people, there is an increased prevalence of atrophic g
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Demerol Percocet, Type II, , Retrieved September, Percocet PO, september 8 2004, september 8, retrieved september 8, normal 2004, 8 2004, retrieved september, Ch26jsp Webster, Manual Geriatrics, HPS100/HPS100SurgicalAsepsis03 Normal, 2004 retrieved, sterile object, 2004 retrieved september, References Acute, surgical asepsis, Acute%20Appendicitishtm Appendicitis, sterile object field, merck 2004, webster 1999, heart rate, 2004 surgical asepsis,
Approximate Word count = 1867
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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