What it means
In nursing, the word describes shapes, such as a round wound or a circular burn that goes all the way around a limb or the chest, and motions, such as cleaning a site in circles or wrapping a bandage in circular turns.
For the nurse
When cleaning around a round site such as a drain or a central line, start at the site and move outward in widening circles, and never bring the same swab back toward the center. Follow the product's directions, since some skin cleansers are scrubbed back and forth instead.
Related terms
surgical asepsis
Practices that keep an area or object completely free of microorganisms; also called sterile technique.