ABSTRACT
Almost a century has passed since Lister introduced the concept of asepsis with chemical antimicrobials. Today’s aseptic technique, however, is not much different from that of Lister’s era, namely, the application of preoperative skin preparation (POSP) on the body surface of the patients and the practice of surgical scrubbing (SS) and sterile gloving by surgeons and operating room (OR) nurses before surgery. However, evolution has taken place during recent decades in the synthesis of new antimicrobial chemicals and in the methods of application. The surgeons and OR nurses now have more antimicrobials of different chemical families to choose from than at any other time. The methods of qualification of POSP and SS are carefully governed by regulatory agencies, and the methods of application are described in detail by organizations such as the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN).
