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What does "sterile" mean? Specifically, when a healthcare worker uses the term "sterile," what does a healthcare worker mean?
When I looked up "sterile" in two dictionaries, I saw two definitions, both of which were better than the others, but which seem to have problems.
Definition one: "free from living organisms and especially pathogenic microorganisms." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile.
Definition two: "completely clean and not containing any bacteria that might cause infection." https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/sterile.
The problem with each is they are phrased in absolute terms. I suspect that even things such as a sterile laboratory have some amount of pathogenic microorganisms and bacterial that might cause infection. Am I wrong? They just have less of those. As I understand the term, "sterile" would involve something cleaner than your dishes when they're in your dishwasher right after it has cleaned them.
When a healthcare worker uses the term "sterile," what do they mean? Thanks for your help.
When I looked up "sterile" in two dictionaries, I saw two definitions, both of which were better than the others, but which seem to have problems.
Definition one: "free from living organisms and especially pathogenic microorganisms." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile.
Definition two: "completely clean and not containing any bacteria that might cause infection." https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/sterile.
The problem with each is they are phrased in absolute terms. I suspect that even things such as a sterile laboratory have some amount of pathogenic microorganisms and bacterial that might cause infection. Am I wrong? They just have less of those. As I understand the term, "sterile" would involve something cleaner than your dishes when they're in your dishwasher right after it has cleaned them.
When a healthcare worker uses the term "sterile," what do they mean? Thanks for your help.