Key Terms
These contain a weakened or killed antigen, which prompts the body to develop antibodies specific to that antigen, increasing immunity.
What are vaccinations?
Steps that a healthcare worker takes with all patients to prevent the spread of infection.
What is standard precautions?
The absence of pathogens.
This is a method for cleaning low-risk environmental surfaces such as walls, floors, and bathrooms.
What is environmental cleaning?
This organization developed standard precautions.
Who is the CDC?
This means free of living microorganisms.
What is sterile?
Practices used when infection can be spread over long distances and through air.
What is airborne precautions?
This destroys all microorganisms, pathogens and non-pathogens.
What is sterilization?
These should be removed before putting on gloves.
What are rings?
You should do this before and after contact with any patient; after contamination with any blood, body fluid, secretion, or excretion; and immediately before donning and immediately after doffing gloves.
What is wash hands?
The use of chemicals to kill pathogens that are present on nonliving objects.
What is disinfection?
Practices used when an infection can be spread by direct or indirect contact with a patient or one's environment.
What is contact precautions?
An example of this is an autoclave (steam/gas).
What is sterilization?
This removes debris and provides thorough cleaning of stainless-steel devices with joints, lumens or other complicated parts that are difficult to clean by other methods.
What is ultrasonic cleaners?
Gloves, gowns, masks, goggles, hair covers and shoe covers are all examples of this.
What is personal protective equipment?
Precautions used when potentially contacting potentially infectious microorganisms in the blood.
What is blood-borne pathogen standard?
Practices used when a pathogen can be transmitted through close contact with the respiratory system or mucous membranes.
What is droplet precautions?
This stops the growth or spread of pathogens but is not effective against spores and viruses. It can be used on the skin.
What is antisepsis?
This uses steam under pressure or gas to sterilize equipment and supplies and destroys all microorganisms.
What is sterilizing with an autoclave?
It is my ________ in standard precautions to follow all rules and regulations; to report any exposure immediately to supervisor; and to complete necessary incident reports as needed.
What is responsibility?
The prevention of infection by inhibiting or stopping the growth of microorganisms, used on skin.
What is antisepsis?
Heightened care techniques that are performed in addition to standard precautions based on how a patient's infection is spread.
What is transmission based precautions?
This destroys pathogens but is not always effective against spores and viruses. It is used on objects.
What is disinfection?
When organisms are present in an environment it is considered __________.
What is contaminated?
When possible, safe needles or needleless devices should be used to prevent this.
What is needle sticks?