Asepsis

Under asepsis (Greek " sterility ", literally " without decay " ) is understood in the medical condition of sterility. Antiseptics are the leading thereto measures. To be distinguished from the concept of asepsis is the antisepsis, which means no complete sterility, but only a germ reduction.

Measures to asepsis ( " aseptic precautions " ) are mainly:

• Sterilization ( sanitization ) of all medical instruments and clothing ( surgical gowns, gloves ), use sterile packaged disposable instruments and garments generally used physical means and no chemical biocides. This yields some spore and viruses can not disable by all sterilization procedures.

• Water sterilization used highly pure filtered water and sets to hydrogen peroxide as a biocide to achieve a chemical-physical and finally residue-free sterility after final rinse. That's the state of the art modern beverage bottling plants.

• Room disinfection, usually used chemical biocides and additionally optionally physical processes and achieved only finite limits ( antisepsis ). A space in which people work, one can not completely sterilize. In a disinfecting microorganisms or dead material are placed in a closed state in which they can not re- infect.

• Room air sterilization, also called " laminar flow " means that the work area with a laminar ( non-turbulent ) flows through from above downward flow with physically sterile filtered air. This procedure does not remove existing contamination of surfaces and it does not use biocides. It is intended to prevent new germs are entered in the sterile field. Suspended particulates or germs are removed through the side -mounted, ground-level exhaust systems ( active suction ). The people working in the laminar flow of air people share fully closed, low-particle overalls, boots, fully complete with overalls and a head and mouth protection. The hands are covered with sterile disposable gloves. In special cases, the exhaled air are aspirated continuously. This technique is currently (2005) the highest level of germ sure that's achievable.

• Behavior in the operating theater: Here are some rules of conduct that are intended to counteract re- contamination.

Aseptic inflammation

The term " aseptic " is also used for the characterization of inflammatory and other diseases, the cause is not due to an infection. Examples are the aseptic bone necrosis ( Osgood- Schlatter ), the enthesiopathies as lateral epicondylitis ( tennis elbow) and periarthritis humeroscapularis or aseptic meningitis, for example, in terms of neoplastic meningitis or triggered by certain medications. The gout ( gouty arthritis ) - a joint inflammation by the deposition of uric acid crystals - one of the aseptic inflammation.