How do sterile techniques differ in clinical and laboratory settings?
While the core principles of sterile techniques remain the same across settings, their application can vary. In clinical settings, the focus is on preventing infection in patients through measures like hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, and sterilization of medical instruments. In laboratory settings, the emphasis is on preventing contamination of biological samples and reagents, which involves techniques like working in sterile hoods and using sterile pipettes and containers.