ATI - Infection Control Surgical Asepsis - wk4 Flashcards
measures taken to prevent the spread of diseases transmitted from an infected person by pathogens propelled through the air on particles smaller than 5 µm in size to a susceptible person’s eyes, nose, or mouth
airborne precautions
a type of protein the immune system produces to neutralize a threat of some kind, such as an infecting organism, a chemical, or some other foreign body
antibody
able to destroy or suppress the growth of pathogens and other micro-organisms
antimicrobial
a substance that reduces the number of pathogens present on a surface
antiseptic
methods used to assure that an environment is as pathogen-free as possible
asepsis
as pathogen-free as possible
aseptic
the inhibition of further bacterial growth
bacteriostasis
an antibacterial compound with substantial residual activity that is used as a liquid antiseptic and disinfectant
chlorhexidine
measures taken to prevent the spread of diseases transmitted by the physical transfer of pathogens to a susceptible host’s body surface
contact precautions
the process of becoming unsterile or unclean
contamination
any chemical agent used to destroy or inhibit the growth of harmful organisms
disinfectant
measures taken to prevent the spread of diseases transmitted from an infected person by pathogens propelled through the air on particles larger than 5 µm in size to a susceptible person’s eyes, nose, or mouth
droplet precautions
prevalent in or characteristic of a particular environment
endemic
produced within an organism or system rather than externally caused
endogenous
extremely prevalent or widespread
epidemic
externally caused rather than produced within an organism or system
exogenous
the aggregate of bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms normally found in a particular environment, such as the gastrointestinal tract or the skin
flora
at an especially high level of continued incidence in a population
hyperendemic
the inhibition of the body’s protective response to pathogenic invasion, usually as a result of disease, drug therapy, or surgery
immunosuppression
invasion and proliferation of pathogens in body tissues
infection
the separation of an infected person from others for the period of communicability of a particular disease
isolation
a milky fluid produced by rubber trees that is processed into a variety of products, including gloves used for patient care
latex
infection-control practices common in healthcare, such as basic handwashing
medical asepsis
a strain of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus that has become resistant to the antibacterial action of the antibiotic methicillin, a form of penicillin
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
any disease-producing agent, especially a virus, bacterium, or fungus
pathogen
devices used to protect employees from workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from biological, chemical, radiological, physical, electric, mechanical, or other workplace hazards
personal protective equipment (PPE)
pertaining to or caused by pneumococci, organisms of the species Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common cause of pneumonia and other infectious diseases
pneumococcal
any of a large group of RNA-based viruses that tend to infect immunocompromised individuals, including the human immunodeficiency virus and many cancer-causing viruses
retrovirus
the presence in blood or other tissues of pathogens or their toxins
sepsis
measures designed to prevent the transmission of organisms and used for all patients in healthcare facilities regardless of diagnosis or infection status
standard precautions
a genus of gram-positive bacteria that are potential pathogens, causing local lesions and serious opportunistic infections
staphylococcus
techniques used to destroy all pathogenic organisms, also called sterile technique
surgical asepsis
measures taken to prevent the spread of diseases from people suspected to be infected or colonized with highly transmissible pathogens that require measures beyond standard precautions to interrupt transmission, specifically, airborne, droplet, and contact precautions
transmission based precautions
a strain of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus that has become resistant to the antibacterial action of the antibiotic vancomycin
vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)
