STUDIES IN ASEPTIC TECHNIC

Abstract

One of the most important duties of an attending surgeon to a hospital is to devise and carry out in his operative work, a system of aseptic technic which will insure the minimum of infection in his operative wounds. Every infection occurring in a clean wound and every infected wound which is not rendered sterile by the primary operation, when this is possible, results in increased suffering and delay in convalescence to the patient and an increased expenditure of money, time, and effort on the part of the hospital and attending staff. Take for instance the operation for the removal of a cancerous breast. Although this is often one of the most extensive operations in surgery, the wound should heal firmly in ten days and the patient should leave the hospital in a fortnight. If, however, through any error in technic the wound becomes infected, healing may be delayed for