Key Terms
Air Exchanges
new air replacements
Autoclave
a device that generates heat and pressure to sterilize objects,s instruments, and enclosures, as well as vessels
Compounded Sterile Preparation
a medication prepared with aseptic technique in a sterile, cleanroom facility
Drop factor
- the number of drops that an IV tubing delivers to provide 1 ml.; this number may be used by nurses to calculate the IV flow rate when using certain types of primary IV tubing; also called drop set or drip set
Injection Port
a connector on the IV tubing which allows the injection of TV fluid or medication other than char in the current IV bag to be infused into the patient's vein
Anteroom
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 Clamps
a 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 couch or airflow interruption
Epidemic
a regional widespread contagious disease
In-Line Filter
a device used in the IV line to remove contaminants such as glass, fibers, bits of rubber, and bacteria from IV fluids
Asepsis
the absence of pathogenic microorganisms
Bacteria
a small, single-celled microorganism that can exist in three main forms, depending on type: spherical (i.e., cocci), rod-shaped (i.e., bacilli), and spiral (i.c, spirochetes)
Disinfectant
a chemical agent, such as sterile 70% IP,A used on inanimate surfaces and objects to destroy fungi, viruses, and bacteria, but not necessarily their spores
Filtration
funneling of a liquid or gas through filters, or mesh screens with minute holes too small for biological and chemical contaminants to pass through
ISO
an air quality classification from the International Organization for Standardization, measures the amount of particulate matter in room air; the lower the ISO number, the less particulate matter is present in the air
Aseptic hand washing
a more aggressive soap and water hand washing procedure, followed bythe use of an antiseptic agent before donning sterile attire
Buffer room
ISO Class 7 or cleaner area where the PECs are physically located; also called the IV or cleanroom
Distillation
process of boiling a liquid and capturing the condensed gases or vapor back into a purified liquid form
HEPA
filter, a device used to filter over 99% of particulate matter from the air to establish an aseptic environment in which to prepare CSPs
IV administration set
a sterile, disposable device of many components (including che cubing and ports) 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
ISO-classified room (or two-room configuration of a cleanroom area in which the concentration of airborne particles is controlled to meet a specified air quality). Borne-particulate cleanliness class to prevent particle and microbial contamination of CSPs; also called the IV room or buffer room
Drip chamber
the small, open space just below the spike adaptor where the drops of fluid from the IV bag into the tubing are counted by the nurse to determine the flow rate of the IV solution
Horizontal Laminar Air Flow Workbench
also known as a laminar hood, a PEC (which has an ISO Class 5 air quality in its DCA), used to prepare IV drug admixtures, nutrition solutions, and other parenteral products aseptically
IVP
a small-volume parenteral (SVP) infusion (50 ml, 100 ml, 250 ml) containing medications attached to a primary LVP IV solution