What is a surgical aseptic technique versus medical aseptic technique?

Medical asepsis, or clean technique, reduces the number and spread of microorganisms through practices like hand hygiene, gloving, and environmental cleaning. It does not eliminate all organisms. Surgical asepsis, or sterile technique, eliminates all microorganisms from an object or area and is required for procedures that penetrate the skin or enter sterile body cavities, such as inserting urinary catheters, changing central line dressings, and performing wound irrigation.