chain of infection
This is the organism that causes disease.
What is an infectious agent?
An infection that affects the entire body.
What is a systemic infection?
This period is the time between exposure and symptoms.
What is the incubation period?
The most effective way to prevent HAIs.
What is proper hand hygiene?
A sudden rise in cases in one community.
What is an outbreak?
This is the place where the pathogen lives.
What is a reservoir?
An infection that stays in one body part.
What is a local infection?
When someone carries a pathogen but has no symptoms.
What is being a carrier?
This type of infection can be prevented by handwashing.
What is a hospital-acquired infection (HAI)?
A large number of cases in a region.
What is an epidemic?
This is how a pathogen escapes its reservoir.
What is the portal of exit?
An infection that shows no symptoms.
What is an asymptomatic infection?
One way pathogens can enter the body.
What is through broken skin (or mouth, nose, etc.)?
One group at high risk of spreading infections in healthcare.
Who are healthcare workers?
A disease spreading worldwide.
What is a pandemic?
This is how the pathogen enters a new host.
What is the portal of entry?
Infections that come from inside the body.
What are endogenous infections?
The stage when someone can spread the infection
What is the communicable period?
When should you wash your hands in a healthcare setting?
What is before and after patient contact, before procedures, after body fluid exposure, and after touching the surroundings?
One factor that leads to a pandemic.
What is global transmission?
This is someone who is at risk of infection.
What is a susceptible host?
Infections that occur when the immune system is weak.
What are opportunistic infections?
Three possible outcomes after pathogen exposure.
What are: immune system destroys it; person becomes a carrier; infection develops?
Hand hygiene breaks this link in the chain of infection.
What is mode of transmission?
The best defence against infection during an outbreak
What is prevention through hand hygiene and infection control?