Inserting an indwelling urinary catheter or IV requires which type of aseptic technique?

• A. Surgical asepsis
• B. Medical asepsis
• C. Disinfection
• D. Sterilization

Answer: (A)

Invasive procedures like inserting a catheter or IV line require sterile technique to prevent introducing bacteria into sterile body sites. This is surgical asepsis: you create and maintain a sterile field, use sterile instruments and gloves, and ensure anything that touches the sterile area remains sterile. Medical asepsis (clean technique) is used for routine care to reduce the spread of organisms but does not achieve true sterility, so it isn’t enough for invasive insertions. Disinfection is about cleaning surfaces to lower microbial load, not maintaining a sterile field during a procedure. Sterilization is the process of rendering equipment completely free of microorganisms, but the method used during the procedure is sterile technique, i.e., surgical asepsis.