What term describes practices that remove or destroy pathogens and prevent their spread?

The term that describes practices aimed at removing or destroying pathogens and preventing their spread is medical asepsis. This practice is fundamental in healthcare settings to reduce the risk of infection and involves techniques such as hand hygiene, the proper handling of equipment, and the cleaning and disinfection of surfaces. By focusing on creating a clean environment, medical asepsis helps in controlling the transmission of microorganisms that can cause illness.

In contrast, surgical asepsis specifically involves procedures that maintain a sterile environment, particularly during operations or invasive procedures, to ensure that no pathogens are introduced. Isolation precautions refer to specific practices used to prevent the spread of infections from patients known to be infected, while standard precautions are the minimum infection prevention practices that apply to all patient care. Each of these terms represents different aspects of infection control, with medical asepsis being the broadest concept aimed at minimizing the presence and spread of pathogens.