Ch. 15 Infection Control - Key Terms
AIDS
Caused by HIV and suppresses the immune system
aerobic
Organisms that require oxygen to live
airborne precautions
Used for patients known or suspected to be infected with pathogens transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei
anaerobic
Organisms that live and reproduce in the absence of oxygen
asepsis
The 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
One-celled organisms that multiply rapidly
bioterrorism
The use of microorganisms, or biological agents, as weapons to infect humans, animals, or plants
cavitation
A process where the bubbles strike the items being cleaned, they explode
chain of infection
For disease to occur and spreas from one indivdual to another, certain conditions must be met
chemical disinfection
A few chemicals that kill spores and viruses
clean
Objects or parts of objects do not contain disease-producing organisms and therefore have minimal chance of spreading the disease
communicable disease
Caused by a pathogenic organism that can be easily transmitted to others
contract precautions
Must be followed for any patients known or suspected t be infected with epidemiological microorganisms that can be transmitted by either direct or indirect contact
contaminated
Organisms and pathogens are present
disinfection
This is a process that uses chemical disinfectants to destroy or kill pathogenic organisms
droplet precautions
Precautions that assume that every person is potentially infected or colonized with a transmissible pathogen
ebola
A virus that cause hemorrhagic fever, a disease that begins with flu-like symptoms, and a skin rash
endogenous
The infection or disease originates within the body
epidemic
When the communicable disease spreads rapidly from person to person and affects a large number of people at the same time
exogenous
The infection or disease originated outside the body
fomites
Objects contaminated with infectious material that contains the pathogens
fungi
Plant-like organisms that live on dead organic matter
health care-associated
An infection acquired by an individual in a health care facility, such as a hospital or long-term care facility
helminths
Multicellular parasitic organisms that are transmitted to humans when humans ingest the eggs or larvae in contaminated food, ingest meat contaminated with worms, or get bitten by infected insects