Asepsis Flashcards
Resident flora
Collective vegetation in a given area
Disease
Detectable alteration in normal tissue function
Virulence
Microorganisms ability to produce disease
Communicable disease
Infectious agent can be transmitted to an individual by direct or indirect contact or as an airborne infection
Pathogenicity
Ability to produce disease
Opportunistic pathogen
Causes disease only in a susceptible individual
Asepsis
Freedom from disease causing microorganisms
Medical asepsis
Includes all practices intended to confine a specific microorganism to a specific area
CLEAN
Surgical asepsis
Sterile technique
Refers to those practices that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms
Sepsis
The condition in which acute organ dysfunction occurs secondary to infection
Bacteria
Most common infection causing microorganisms
Viruses
Consist primarily of nuclei acid and must enter living cells to reproduce
Fungi
Yeasts
Molds
Parasites
Live on other living organisms
Colonization
The process by which strains of microorganisms become resident flora
Local infection
Limited to specific part of the body where the microorganisms remain
Systemic infection
Microorganisms spread and damage different parts of the body
Bacteremia
When a culture of the persons blood reveals microorganisms
Septicemia
Bacteremia results in systemic infection
Nosocomial infections
Infections that originate in the hospital
Endogenous
Microorganisms that cause nosocomial infections that come from clients themselves
Exogenous
Microorganisms that cause nosocomial infections that come from the hospital
Nosocomial urinary tract
E. coli
Enterococcus
Pseudomonas
Cause of E. coli
Improper catheterization
Enterococcus species
Contamination of closed drainage system
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Inadequate hand hygiene
Nosocomial surgical sites
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Enterococcus species
(VRE
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
MRSA cause
Inadequate hand hygiene
VRE cause
Improper dressing change technique