Final answer:
Handwashing in healthcare, particularly surgical handwashing, is a meticulous protocol designed to reduce skin microbiota and prevent postoperative infections. Emphasizing the creation of a sterile field, it differs from routine handwashing in its extent and thoroughness. Standards set by the AST guide the specifics of the surgical scrubbing process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Surgical Handwashing Protocols in Healthcare:
Handwashing is critical in the healthcare setting, especially for health-care workers who must perform aseptic procedures. The goal of surgical scrubbing, which is more involved than routine handwashing, is to significantly reduce the microbiota on the skin to prevent the introduction of potential pathogens into a patient's surgical wounds. Surgical scrubbing includes an extensive process beginning from the fingertips, extending to the hands and forearms, and reaching up beyond the elbows. The process of creating and maintaining a sterile field is essential to aseptic technique, ensuring that procedures with a risk for contamination do not introduce infectious agents to patients.
Notably, British surgeon Joseph Lister's historical contribution to the development of antiseptic procedures highlighted the critical importance of hand hygiene in surgery to mitigate postoperative infections. The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) provides standards and recommendations for surgical scrubs, which can be performed with varying lengths of time and with or without brushes based on the antimicrobial agents used.