Organisms Oh My!
A disease-producing microorganism
What is a pathogen?
The natural habitat of a microorganism
What is reservoir?
The interval between the pathogen's invasion of the body and the onset of symptoms
What is incubation?
The most-effective method of preventing transmission of infection
Hand hygiene
An infection resulting from treatment or a diagnostic procedure
What is a healthcare associated or iatrogenic infection?
The most commonly observed infection-causing agents in health care institutions
What are bacteria?
A person infected with a microorganism who does not exhibit any manifestations of disease
What is a carrier?
The first stage an infected person may be infectious
What is the incubation stage?
Precautions utilized in the care of all hospitalized patients regardless of their diagnosis or possible infection status.
What are standard precautions?
Elevated white blood cell count
Bacteria which require oxygen to grow
What are aerobic bacteria?
A non-living reservoir of a microorganism
What is a fomite?
The stage of infection with the most-severe signs and symptoms
What is illness?
Precautions used for patients infected or colonized with a multidrug-resistant infection
What are contact precautions?
Practices used to render and keep objects and area free of all microorganisms
What is surgical asepsis or sterile technique?
The smallest of all microorganisms
What is a virus?
How the microorganism leaves the reservoir
What is a portal of exit?
What is decline?
Precaution required for patients infected with large-particle such as rubella or mumps?
What are droplet precautions.
Bacteria that can live without oxygen
What are anaerobic bacteria?
Organisms that live in or on a host and rely on it for nourishment
What are parasites?
A living organism such as a mosquito which transmits an infectious agent to a human
What is a vector?
Recovery from an infection
What is convalescence?
Precaution used for patients with infections spread through the air by very small particles such as tuberculosis
What are airborne precautions?
An infection originating from outside of the body
What is exogenous?