Aseptic terms

Question 1

Antiseptic

Answer 1

a substance commonly used on living tissue that inhibits the growth and reproduction of microorganisms to prevent infection

Question 2

Asepsis

Answer 2

the absence of pathogenic organisms or a state of sterility
“no putrefaction”

Question 3

Aseptic Technique

Answer 3

any activity or procedure that prevents infection or breaks the chain of infection

Question 4

Medical Asepsis

Answer 4

procedures performed to reduce the number of microorganisms or minimize their spread
“clean technique”

Question 5

Surgical Asepsis

Answer 5

procedures performed to eliminate the presence of all microorganisms and/or to prevent the introduction of microorganisms into an area

Question 6

Bactericidal

Answer 6

descriptor of a substance that destroys/kills bacteria

Question 7

Bacteriostatic

Answer 7

descriptor of a substance that restrains the further development or reproduction of bacteria

Question 8

Bioburden

Answer 8

the number of microorganisms and amount of organic debris on an object at any given time

Question 9

Contamination

Answer 9

the presences of pathogenic materials

Question 10

Cleaning

Answer 10

the physical removal of blood, body fluids and/or gross debris from an inanimate object

Question 11

Cross contamination

Answer 11

the transference of pathogenic materials from one person or object to another

Question 12

Decontamination

Answer 12

to remove any injurious agent from the environment
to reduce bioburden on a person, object, or in the environment

Question 13

Disinfectant

Answer 13

chemical agent that kills most microorganisms, but not usually spores
commonly used on inanimate objects since these compounds are too powerful for use on living tissue

Question 14

Disinfection

Answer 14

destruction of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins or vectors by direct exposure to chemical or physical agents

Question 15

Fomite

Answer 15

an inanimate object that is the site of viable microorganisms capable of causing infection

Question 16

Infection

Answer 16

invasion of human tissue by pathogenic microorganisms that reproduce and cause disease

Question 17

Nosocomial

Answer 17

a new condition acquired during a hospital stay or during health care procedures
“hospital” “disease” “to care for”

Question 18

Pathogen

Answer 18

any microbe capable of causing disease

Question 19

Sepsis

Answer 19

infection, resulting from the presences of pathogenic microorganisms
usually accompanied by fever

Question 20

Event-related sterility

Answer 20

sterility is determined by how a package is handled rather than expiration date
remains sterile until opened or a sterile parameter is violated

Question 21

Spore

Answer 21

a dormant form assumed by some bacteria to render it resistant to heat or cold, drying, and chemicals
under favorable conditions, it reverts to the active vegetative bacterial state

Question 22

Sporicidal

Answer 22

a substance that kills/destroys bacteria in a spore state

Question 23

Sterile

Answer 23

a term designating items that have been rendered free of all living microorganisms

Question 24

Sterile Field

Answer 24

a specified area that is considered free of microorganisms
includes portions of the draped patient, mayo stand, back table, and sterile team members

Question 25

Sterile technique

Answer 25

practices taken to protect a patient against infection causing microorganisms preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively

Question 26

Sterilization

Answer 26

the destruction of all microorganisms - including spores - in or about an object by thermal, chemical, or radiation methods

Question 27

Sterilize

Answer 27

a term denoting a process capable of destroying all living microorganisms, including spores, on inanimate surfaces

Question 28

Surgically clean

Answer 28

a term indicating items that have been mechanically cleaned and disinfected but do not meet the criteria of sterility

Question 29

Terminal disinfection

Answer 29

chemical and mechanical methods used to render items safe to handle at the end of a surgical procedure by reducing bioburden

Question 30

Vector

Answer 30

an animal carrier, usually invertebrate, that transmits disease among vertebrates

Question 31

Resident flora

Answer 31

bacteria that normally inhabit internal and external surfaces of healthy animals

Question 32

Transient flora

Answer 32

microorganisms that reside on a body surface and are easily removed during a surgical scrub

Question 33

Strike-through contamination

Answer 33

contamination of a sterile field secondary to puncture or fluid passage through a sterile barrier

Question 34

Surgical site infection

Answer 34

primary mode of airborne bacteria in the OR is the surgical team
most are caused by the patient’s own flora contaminating the wound by direct contact

Question 35

Indirect contact

Answer 35

infection spread by contaminated surgical instruments

Question 36

Airborne spread

Answer 36

infection through the air - from sneeze droplets

Question 37

Common vehicle spread

Answer 37

infection carried in blood products

Question 38

High-level disinfection

Answer 38

kills all microorganisms except spores, and may kill spores with sufficient contact time
only sterilization assures a higher level of asepsis

Question 39

Intermediate-level disinfection

Answer 39

kills most microorganisms except spores

Question 40

Low-level disinfection

Answer 40

kills fungi, bacteria, and hydrophobic viruses. not effective against some viruses, such as M. tuberculosis. ineffective against spores

Question 41

Terminal sterilization

Answer 41

sterilization of instruments following a procedure to render them safe to personnel who will prepare the instruments for reuse
usually accomplished with the use of a washer-sterilizer unit