Who introduced aseptic techniques to disinfect both hands and air inside surgical theaters?

• A. Joseph Lister
• B. Ignaz Semmelweis
• C. Edward Jenner
• D. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Answer: (A)

Aseptic technique in surgery came from the idea that infections in wounds come from microbes in the environment as well as from the surgeon’s hands. Ignaz Semmelweis showed how crucial hand hygiene was to prevent infections, especially in obstetric wards, by having healthcare workers wash their hands. But the broader leap to preventing infections in the operating room by cleansing both the hands and the surroundings was made by Joseph Lister. He introduced antiseptic surgery, using carbolic acid to sterilize wounds and instruments and to reduce airborne contamination in the operating theater. This approach effectively targeted both the practitioners’ hands and the theater environment, lowering surgical infections and establishing the practice of aseptic techniques in surgery. Edward Jenner is known for vaccination, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek for pioneering microbiology through the microscope; neither led aseptic methods in the surgical theater.