Iowa Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Practice Exam

The practice that aims to minimize the number of microbes is medical asepsis. This approach focuses on reducing the number of microorganisms in a person's environment and preventing the spread of infection. Techniques used in medical asepsis include hand hygiene, using clean medical equipment, and regularly disinfecting surfaces. By minimizing the presence of pathogens, it helps protect both patients and healthcare workers from infections.

In contrast, surgical asepsis refers to practices that eliminate all microbes and their spores from the surgical field, ensuring that no contaminants are present during surgical procedures. Immunity describes the body's ability to resist infections through natural or artificial means, rather than directly targeting microbial presence. Sterilization involves the complete destruction of all microorganisms, including their spores, typically through methods like autoclaving, which is a more extreme measure than simply reducing microbial load.