Practices that help reduce the number and spread of microorganisms are referred to as what?

• A. Sterilization
• B. Medical asepsis
• C. Disinfection
• D. Asepsis

Answer: (B)

Reducing the number of microorganisms and limiting their spread in everyday care is achieved through medical asepsis, or clean technique. This involves practical measures like hand hygiene, using gloves when appropriate, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and proper waste management to lower microbial load and transmission during patient care. Sterilization completely destroys all microorganisms and spores, mainly for nondisposable instruments. Disinfection lowers the microbial count on inanimate surfaces but may not eliminate all organisms or spores and isn’t applied to living tissues in routine care. Asepsis refers to a state or practice aimed at preventing infection, often in the context of sterile techniques, which is more stringent than daily medical asepsis. Thus, medical asepsis is the best-fit concept for practices that reduce and prevent the spread of microorganisms.