Clean or sterile

we shoot for as clean as possible for each ENT case but entering a nasal cavity or mouth is never sterile. We sterilize the instruments to make sure that the only contamination on the field is that of the patient's own flora...not someone else's. Gross contamination by the ENT surgeon isn't optimal but an effort should be made to keep things as clean as possible (ie. wearing sterile gloves, providing a sterile field, providing sterile instruments).

It is a clean procedure done with sterile instrumentation Think about it--would you simply "clean" instrumentation that has been in someone's mouth, wiped "clean" and then used again on another patient? In the OR things are sterile or unsterile.

Ent isnt the only place this happens. I know that certain procedures are "clean", but I truly wish the surgeons here would at least try and maintain some level of "sterility" and not grossly contamiate themselves (on purpose, seemingly) . I would want them to if it were me.

I know when you first start doing this job things can get confusing. ENT is one of those areas. When figuring out if something is a sterile procedure do yourself a favor and really think it though. You cannot sterilize a mouth.....the nose is also a place that is "clean" with sterile instruments.(you NEVER want to introduce bacteria into anything) On the other hand, the ear is very much a sterile procedure... talking about mastoids etc. PE tubes your sucking pus out of the ear so clean. Moving to another area people confuse is the bladder....... urine is STERILE.....and again you never want to introduce bacteria. So urology cases should be thought of as sterile. What your doc does is there business....... you always have sterile stuff and keep your surgical conscience on high alert. Hemorrhoids........ clean..... but can be really dirty;)