Key Terms
Air Exchanges
new air replacements
Autoclave
a device that generates heat and pressure to sterilize objects, instruments, and measures vessels
Compounded Sterile Preparation (CSP)
a medication prepared with aseptic technique in a sterile, cleanroom facility
Drop factor
the number of drops delivered to provide 1 mL; used to calculate IV flow rate
Injection Port
a connector on IV tubing that allows medication or fluid to be infused into the IV line
Anteroom
an ISO Class 8 room or area immediately before the buffer room in which hand washing, hygiene, and garbing are done and supplies and ingredients are gathered between the pharmacy department and the cleanroom or buffer area
Auxiliary Clamp
slide clamp used to completely stop the IV solution from flowing
Critical Site
the part of the syringe and/or needle that is at risk for contamination by touch or airflow interruption
Epidemic
a regional widespread contagious disease
In-Line Filter
a device in the IV line that removes contaminants such as glass, fibers, rubber, and bacteria
Asepsis
the absence of pathogenic microorganisms
Bacterium
a small, single-celled microorganism that can exist in three main forms: spherical (cocci), rod-shaped (bacilli), and spiral (spirochetes)
Disinfectant
a chemical agent such as sterile 70% IPA used on inanimate surfaces to destroy fungi, viruses, and bacteria, but not necessarily their spores
Filtration
funneling a liquid or gas through filters or mesh screens with holes too small for contaminants to pass through
ISO
air quality classification that measures the amount of particulate matter in room air
Aseptic hand washing
a more aggressive soap and water hand washing procedure, followed by use of an antiseptic agent before donning sterile attire
Buffer room
an ISO Class 7 or cleaner area where the PECs are physically located; also called the IV room or cleanroom
Distillation
the process of boiling a liquid and capturing the condensed vapor back into purified liquid form
HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) Filter
a device used to filter over 99% of particulate matter from the air to establish an aseptic environment
IV administration set
a sterile, disposable device used to deliver IV fluids to patients
Aseptic technique
the manipulation of sterile products and devices to avoid contamination by disease-causing organisms; includes cleanroom protocols and hand-washing and gowning procedures
Clean room
an ISO-classified room in which airborne particles are controlled to prevent contamination of compounded sterile preparations (CSPs)
Drip chamber
the small space below the spike adaptor where drops of IV fluid are counted to determine flow rate
Horizontal Laminar Air Flow Workbench (H-LAFW)
an ISO Class 5 primary engineering control used to prepare IV medications aseptically
IVPB (IV Piggyback)
a small-volume parenteral infusion attached to a primary IV line