Vocab
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 that an IV tubing set provides per 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 drip set or drop set.
Phlebitis
An inflammation of the vein from the administration of drugs.
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
side 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 interruptions.
Epidemic
A regional widespread contagious disease.
Positive Pressure
Air is being blown into a room and therefore it has higher pressure than the adjacent spaces so the net airflow is out of the area.
Asepsis
the absence of pathogenic microorganisms
Bacterium
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.e., spirochetes).
Disinfectant
A chemical agent such as sterile 70% IPA used on inanimate surfaces and objects to destroy fungi, viruses, and bacteria, but not necessarily their spores.
Filtration
Forcing of a liquid or gas through fibers, or mesh screens with minute holes too small for biological and chemical contaminants to pass through.
Protozoan
A single-celled organism that inhabits water and soil.
Aseptic hand washing
a more aggressive soap and water hand washing procedure, followed by use of antiseptic agents 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
Process of boiling a liquid and capturing the condensed gases or vapor back into a specified liquid form.
HEPA
a device used to filter over 99% of particulate matter from the air to establish an aseptic environment in which to prepare CSPs.
Sepsis
When an infection is so threatening to the body that the immune system begins to attack the body’s own blood vessels and organs causing inflammation, leaky vessels, organ failure, and septic shock
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 (or two-room configuration of an anteroom area) in which the concentration of airborne particles is controlled to meet a specified airborne 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 adapter where the drops of fluid from the IV bag into the tubing area are counted by the nurse to determine the rate of flow of the IV solution
Horizontal Laminar Air Flow Workbench (HLAFW)
Also known as a laminar hood, a PEC (with an ISO Class 5 air quality in its DCA) used to prepare IV drug admixtures, nutrition solutions, and other parenteral products aseptically.
Super bugs
Bacteria that are resistant to antibiotic therapies