Microbes & Pathogens
Microorganisms that can cause disease are called what?
Pathogens
What term describes infection spread through direct touch with a patient?
Direct contact
What protective equipment must be worn when caring for patients in contact isolation?
Gown and gloves
What is the absence of all disease-producing organisms called?
Asepsis
HIV attacks which system of the body?
Immune system
Removing one step in this process can stop disease transmission. What is it called?
Chain of infection
Which microbe is smaller than bacteria and requires a living host to reproduce?
Virus
When pathogens are spread via droplets from coughing or sneezing, what type of transmission is this?
Droplet transmission
Standard precautions include using gloves when coming into contact with what?
Blood and body fluids
What practice involves eliminating all microbes and spores using equipment like an autoclave?
Sterilization
Which vaccine is recommended for health care workers with patient contact?
Hepatitis B
Place these in correct order: Mode of transmission, Reservoir, Portal of entry, Infectious agent, Portal of exit, Susceptible host.
Infectious agent → Reservoir → Portal of exit → Mode of transmission → Portal of entry → Susceptible host
MRSA and VRE are examples of what type of bacteria?
Drug-resistant bacteria
Objects contaminated with infectious material that can spread disease are called what?
Fomites
Which personal hygiene practice is the most important method to prevent infection?
Handwashing
Cleaning surfaces to reduce pathogens but not necessarily eliminating all microbes is called?
Disinfection
A patient with low resistance to infection is described as what?
Immunosuppressed
An epidemiologist is like a disease what?
Detective
How are bacteria commonly identified under a microscope?
By their shape and arrangement
If a patient acquires an infection while in a health care facility, what is it called?
Nosocomial infection
What type of isolation requires a private room to prevent disease spread via droplets?
Droplet isolation
Which daily practice by a nursing assistant helps maintain medical asepsis?
Wiping environmental surfaces and proper handwashing
Give two examples of illnesses caused by viruses.
AIDS and hepatitis
Which internal factor can influence how microbes affect a person?
Condition of the immune system
Which four types of microbes commonly cause infections in humans?
Bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi
People who carry and transmit a disease without showing symptoms are called what?
Carriers
True or False: Disposable razors can be thrown into a regular wastebasket.
False
True or False: Sterilization is the best method to kill microbes and their spores.
True
Smallpox spreads via which methods of contact?
Direct, indirect, and airborne
True or False: All patients should be considered potentially infectious.
True
Microbes that normally live in the body without causing harm are called what?
Normal flora
Name a common method of disease transmission via contaminated food.
Undercooked meat
Which precaution is necessary for passing meal trays or handling clean linen?
Standard precautions
Carrying clean linen against your uniform is considered a breach of what?
Infection control practice
What high school locker room infection spreads via towels or damp surfaces?
MRSA (Staph aureus)
Bacteria that cannot survive with oxygen are called what?
Anaerobic bacteria