asepsis /āsep″sis/ [Gk, a, sepsis, not decay] , 1. the absence of germs. 2. medical asepsis, procedures used to reduce the number of microorganisms and prevent their spread. Examples include handwashing and “no touch” dressing technique. 3. procedures used to eliminate any microorganisms; sterile technique. An example is sterilization of surgical instruments. −aseptic, adj.
