Block Five Flashcards
Infection Control
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)
The set of methods practiced in healthcare facilities to prevent and control the spread of disease.
Microorganism
A living thing or organism that is so small that it can be seen only through a microscope; also called a microbe.
Infection
The state resulting from pathogens invading the body and multiplying.
Pathogen
A microorganism that is capable of causing infection and disease.
Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI)
An infection acquired within a healthcare setting during the delivery of medical care.
Chain of Infection
A way of describing how disease is transmitted from one being to another.
Bacteria
A one-celled organism including some that can cause disease.
Virus
A pathogen that can grow and reproduce only after infecting a host cell.
Normal Flora
Bacteria which are found in or on our bodies on a semi-permanent basis without causing disease.
Non-Pathogens
Microorganisms incapable of causing disease.
Mucous Membranes
The membranes that line body cavities that open to the outside of the body, such as the linings of the mouth, nose, eyes, rectum, or genitals.
Communicable
(of a disease) able to be transmitted from one sufferer to another; contagious or infectious.
Asepsis
The process of removing pathogens, or the state of being free of pathogens.
Sterile
Free from bacteria or other living microorganisms; totally clean.
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
A government agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that issues information to protect the health of individuals and communities.
Standard Precautions
A method of infection prevention in which all blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes are treated as if they were infected with an infectious disease.
Biohazard/Biohazardous
A risk to human health or the environment arising from biological work, especially with microorganisms.
Contamination
The action or state of making or being made impure by polluting or poisoning.
Cross Contamination
The process by which bacteria or other microorganisms are unintentionally transferred from one substance or object to another, with harmful effects.
Hand Hygiene
Washing hands with either plain or antiseptic soap and water and using alcohol-based hand rubs.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Equipment that helps protect employees from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with workplace hazards.
Don
To put on
Doff
To remove
Clean
In health care, a condition in which objects are not contaminated with pathogens.
Dirty
In health care, a condition in which objects have been contaminated with pathogens.
Disinfect
Act or process that destroys most but not all, pathogens by reducing the pathogen count to a level that is considered not infectious.
Disinfectant
A chemical liquid that destroys bacteria.
Disposable
Only to be used once and then discarded.
Anti-Microbial
An agent that destroys, resists, or prevents, the development of pathogens.
Transmission-Based Precautions
Method of infection control used when caring for persons who are infected or suspected of being infected with a disease; also called Isolation Precautions. The three categories are airborne, droplet, and contact.
Airborne Precautions
Infection control measures taken to prevent the spread of pathogens that can be transmitted through the air after being expelled and remain floating in the air for a long time. These measures include using a special mask such as an N95 or HEPA respirator.
Droplet Precautions
Infection control measures taken to prevent the spread of pathogens that are spread through droplets in the air that don’t normally travel more than 6 feet. These measures include wearing a face mask during care.
Contact Precautions
Precautions used when there is a risk of transmitting or contracting a microorganism from touching an infected object or person.
Isolation
The physical separation of individuals with certain infections from other people to prevent or limit the transmission of disease.
Reverse Isolation
Isolation procedures designed to protect a patient from infectious organisms that might be carried by staff or visitors. Patients who have a decreased immune system, usually from chemotherapy, may be placed in reverse isolation.
Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)
Pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans.
Hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver caused by certain viruses and other factors, such as alcohol abuse, some medications, and trauma.
Tuberculosis (TB)
A highly contagious lung disease caused by a bacterium that is carried on mucous droplets suspended in the air.
Covid-19
A droplet and airborne disease transmitted through droplets and particles produced by an infected person; often characterized by respiratory symptoms and capable of progressing to sever symptoms, even death, especially in people who are older or have underlying health conditions.
Influenza
A highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever, severe aching, an catarrh, and often occurring in epidemics.
Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO’s)
Defined as bacteria that have become resistant to more than one class of antimicrobial agents and usually to all but one or two commercially available antimicrobial agents, complicating treatment of illnesses they cause.
Shingles
An acute, painful inflammation of the nerve ganglia, with a skin eruption, often forming a girdle around the middle of the body. It is caused by the same virus as chickenpox.
Clostridioides/Clostridium difficile (C. diff)
Bacteria illness that can cause diarrhea and colitis.
Exposure Control Plan
Designed to identify in writing, tasks, and procedures, as well as job classifications where occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials occurs.
Exposure Incident
A specific eye, mouth, other mucous membranes, non-intact skin, or parental contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee’s duties.
