Which of the following best defines the term "aseptic technique"?

The term "aseptic technique" is best defined as a procedure used to prevent contamination by pathogens. This is crucial in various healthcare settings to ensure that the environment, equipment, and practices minimize the risk of infection while handling patients, performing surgical procedures, or administering medications.

Aseptic technique involves several strategies, including the use of sterile instruments, maintaining a clean environment, and practicing hand hygiene. Its primary goal is to protect both patients and healthcare providers from infections that can arise from microbial contaminants.

The other options, while related to practices in healthcare, do not capture the full essence of "aseptic technique." For instance, sterilization of medical instruments is just one component of maintaining aseptic conditions, rather than a definition of the broader term. Similarly, medication administration and wound dressing may involve aseptic techniques but do not solely represent the concept itself. Therefore, defining aseptic technique in terms of preventing contamination aligns with its overall purpose in infection control.