Ch. 15 Infection Control
AIDS
Caused by HIV and suppresses immune system
Aerobic
Requiring oxygen to live
Airborne precautions
Used for patients known or suspected to be injected with pathogens transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei
Anaerobic
Living and reproducing in the absence of oxygen
Asepsis
Absence of disease-producing microorganisms or pathogens
Autoclave
A piece of equipment that uses steam under pressure or gas to sterilize equipment and supplies
Bacteria
Simple, one-celled organisms that multiply rapidly
Bioterrorism
Use of microorganisms or biologic agents as weapons to infect humans, animals, or plants
Cavitation
Bubbles strike the the items being cleaned and explode, driving the cleaning solution onto the article
Chain of Infection
Certain conditions for disease to occur and spread from one individual to another
Chemical Disinfection
Chemicals used for aseptic control
Clean
The objects or parts of objects do not contain disease-producing organisms and therefore have minimal risk of spreading the disease
Communicable Disease
Caused by pathogenic organisms that can easily be transmitted to others
Contract Precautions
Must be followed for any patients known or suspected to be infected with epidemiological microorganisms
Contaminated
Organisms and pathogens are present
Disinfection
Process using chemical disinfectants to destroy/kill pathogenic organisms
Droplet Precautions
Assume that every person is potentially infected or colonized with a transmissible pathogen
Ebola
Filoviruses causing hemorrhagic fever
Endogenous
Infection or disease originates within the body
Epidemic
Communicable disease spreads rapidly from person to person and affects a large number of people at the same time
Exogenous
Factors, substances, or organisms that originate from outside a body or cell
Fomites
Objects contaminated with infectious material containing pathogens
Fungi
Simple, plant like organisms living on dead organic matter
Health Care- Associated Infection
Infection acquired by an individual working in a health care facility
Helminths
Multicellular parasitic organisms commonly called worms or flukes