ATI Infection Control

Question 1

airborne precautions

Answer 1

• measures to prevent the spread of diseases transmitted by pathogens propelled through the air on particles smaller than 5 µm in size to a susceptible person’s eyes, nose, or mouth
• N95, negative-airflow room
• pulmonary tuberculosis

Question 2

antibody

Answer 2

protein the immune system produces to neutralize a threat of some kind: infecting organism, chemical, or some other foreign body

Question 3

antimicrobial

Answer 3

able to destroy or suppress the growth of pathogens and other micro-organisms

Question 4

antiseptic

Answer 4

substance that reduces the number of pathogens present on a surface

Question 5

asepsis

Answer 5

methods used to make an environment is as pathogen-free as possible

Question 6

aseptic

Answer 6

as pathogen-free as possible

Question 7

bacteriostasis

Answer 7

inhibition of further bacterial growth

Question 8

chlorhexidine

Answer 8

• antibacterial compound with substantial residual activity
• used as a liquid antiseptic and disinfectant

Question 9

contact precautions

Answer 9

• measures to prevent the spread of diseases transmitted by the physical transfer of pathogens to a susceptible host’s body surface
• gloves and gowns
• MRSA, VRE, C diff (wash hands with soap and water after), wound infections, herpes simplex

Question 10

contamination

Answer 10

the process of becoming unsterile or unclean

Question 11

disinfectant

Answer 11

any chemical agent used to destroy or inhibit the growth of harmful organisms

Question 12

droplet precautions

Answer 12

• measures to prevent spread of diseases by pathogens propelled through the air on particles larger than 5 µm to a susceptible person’s eyes, nose, or mouth
• droplets travel 3-6 ft
• surgical mask
• Mycoplasma pneumonia and influenza

Question 13

endemic

Answer 13

prevalent in or characteristic of a particular environment

Question 14

endogenous

Answer 14

produced within an organism or system rather than externally caused

Question 15

epidemic

Answer 15

extremely prevalent or widespread

Question 16

exogenous

Answer 16

externally caused rather than produced within an organism or system

Question 17

flora

Answer 17

the aggregate of bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms normally found in a particular environment (i.e. gastrointestinal tract or skin)

Question 18

hyperendemic

Answer 18

at an especially high level of continued incidence in a population

Question 19

immunosuppression

Answer 19

• inhibition of the body’s protective response to pathogenic invasion
• usually a result of disease, drug therapy, or surgery

Question 20

infection

Answer 20

invasion and proliferation of pathogens in body tissues

Question 21

isolation

Answer 21

separation of an infected person from others for the period of communicability of a particular disease

Question 22

latex

Answer 22

a milky fluid produced by rubber trees that is processed into a variety of products, including gloves used for patient care

Question 23

medical asepsis

Answer 23

infection-control practices common in healthcare, such as basic handwashing

Question 24

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Answer 24

a bacterial strain that has become resistant to the antibiotic methicillin, a form of penicillin

Question 25

pathogen

Answer 25

any disease-producing agent, especially a virus, bacterium, or fungus

Question 26

personal protective equipment (PPE)

Answer 26

devices used to protect employees from workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from biological, chemical, radiological, physical, electric, mechanical, or other workplace hazards

Question 27

pneumococcal

Answer 27

pertaining to or caused by pneumococci, organisms of the species Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common cause of pneumonia and other infectious diseases

Question 28

retrovirus

Answer 28

any of a large group of RNA-based viruses that tend to infect immunocompromised individuals, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and many cancer-causing viruses

Question 29

sepsis

Answer 29

the presence in blood or other tissues of pathogens or their toxins

Question 30

standard precautions

Answer 30

• measures to prevent transmission of organisms
• used for all patients in health care facilities regardless of diagnosis or infection status

Question 31

staphylococcus

Answer 31

• a genus of gram-positive bacteria that are potential pathogens
• cause local lesions and serious opportunistic infections

Question 32

surgical asepsis

Answer 32

techniques used to destroy all pathogenic organisms, also called sterile technique

Question 33

transmission-based precautions

Answer 33

• measures to prevent spread of diseases that are not blocked by standard precautions
• airborne, droplet, and contact precautions

Question 34

vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)

Answer 34

a bacterial strain that’s resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin