Key terms
Air Exchange
New air replacements
Anteroom:
An ISO class 8 room or area immediately before the buffer room in which hand washing, hygiene, and garbing are down and supplies and ingredients are gathered between the pharmacy department and the cleanroom or buffer area.
Asepsis
The absence of pathogenic microorganisms
Aseptic hand washing:
A more aggressive soap and water hand washing procedure, followed by use of an antiseptic agent before donning sterile attire.
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.
Autoclave
A device that generates heat and pressure to sterilize objects, instruments, and measures vessels.
Auxiliary Clamp:
Slide clamp used to completely stop the IV solution from flowing.
Bactrium
A small, single-celled microorganism that can exist in three main forms, depending on type: spherical, rod-shaped, and spiral.
Buffer room:
An ISO class 7 or cleaner area where the PEC;s are physically located; also called the IV or cleanroom.
Clean room:
An ISO classified room(or two-room configuration of a cleanroom 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.
Compounded sterile preparation(CSP):
A medication prepared with aseptic technique in a sterile, cleanroom facility.
Critical Site:
The part of the syringe and/or needle that is at risk for contamination by touch or airflow interruption.
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.
Distillation
Process of boiling a liquid and capturing the condensed gases or vapor back into a purified liquid form.
Drip chamber:
The small, open space just below the spike adapter 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.
Drop factor:
The number of drops that an IV tubing delivers to provide 1mL; 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.
Epidemic:
A regional widespread contagious disease.
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.
High-efficiency particulate airflow(HEPA):
A device used to filter over 99% of particulate matter from the air to establish an aseptic environment in which to prepare CSPs.
Horizontal Laminar Air Flow Workbench(H-LAFW):
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.
Injection Port:
A connector on the IV tubing which allows the injection of IV fluid or medication other than that in the current IV bag to be infused into the patient’s vein.
In-Line Filter- ISO IV administration set:
A device used in the IV line to remove contaminants such as glass, fibers, bits of rubber, and bacteria from IV fluids.
IV piggyback(IVPB):
A small-volume parenteral (SVP) infusion (50mL,100mL,250mL) containing medications attached to a primary LVP IV solution.
LVP(Large Volume Parenteral):
IV solutions of more than 250mL that may contain medications, nutrients, or electrolytes.
Macrodrip IV Tubing:
IV tubing sets that have a sufficient diameter to deliver 10,15,20 per milliliter (10gtts/mL, 15gtts/mL, 20gtts/mL), used for adult patients.