Chapter 31 Med Terms Flashcards
A resistance of the body to infection in which the host receives natural or artificial antibodies produced by another source.
Acquired Immunity
A resistance of the body to infection in which the host produces its own antibodies in response to natural or artificial antigens.
Active Immunity
Those that generally appear suddenly or last a short time.
Acute Infection
Used for clients known to have or suspected of having serious illnesses transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei smaller than 5 microns.
Airborne Precautions
Part of the body’s plasma proteins, that defend primarily against the extracellular phases of bacterial and viral infection; also called immunoglobulins.
Antibodies
A substance capable of inducing the formation of antibodies.
Antigens
An agent that inhibits the growth of some microorganisms.
Antiseptics
Freedom from infection or infectious material
Asepsis
An antigen that originates in a person’s own body.
Autoantigen
Bacteria in the blood.
Bacteremia
The most common infection causing microorganisms.
Bacteria
Potentially infectious organisms that are carried in and transmitted through blood or materials containing blood.
Blood Borne Pathogens
A person or animal that harbors a specific infectious agent and serves as a potential source of infection, yet does not manifest any clinical signs of disease.
Carrier
Same as cellular immunity.
Cell-Mediated Defenses
Occurs through the T-cell system; also known as Cell- Mediated Defenses.
Cellular Immunity
Infection that occurs slowly, over a very long period and may last months or years.
Chronic Infections
Same as Humoral Immunity
Circulating Immunity
Free of potentially infectious agents.
Clean
The presence of organisms in body secretions or excretions in which strains of bacteria become resident flora but do not cause illness.
Colonization
A disease that can spread from one person to another.
Communicable Disease
Any person at increased risk for an infection.
Compromised Host
Used for clients known or suspected to have serious illnesses easily transmitted by direct client contact or by contact with items in the client’s environment (GI, respiratory, skin or wound infections, etc.)
Contact Precautions
Laboratory cultivations of microorganisms in special growth medium.
Cultures
Denotes the likely presence of microorganisms, some of which may be capable of causing infection.
Dirty
An alteration in body function resulting in a reduction of capacities or shortening of the normal life span.
Disease
Agent that destroys microorganisms other than spores.
Disinfectants
Residue of evaporated droplets emitted by an infected host, such as someone with tuberculosis, that can remain in the air for long periods of time.
Droplet Nuclei
Used for clients known or suspected to have serious illnesses transmitted by particle droplets larger than 5 microns (diphtheria, mycoplasma, pneumonia).
Droplet Precautions
Developing from within.
Endogenous
Developing from outside sources.
Exogenous
Purulent drainage.
Exudate
Infection-causing microorganisms that include yeasts and molds.
Fungi
Young connective tissue with new capillaries formed in the wound healing process.
Granulation Tissue
Nosocomial infections that originate in any health care setting.
Health Care-Associated Infection
Antibody-mediated defense; resides ultimately in the B lymphocytes and is mediated by the antibodies produced by B cells.
Humoral Immunity
Infections that are the direct result of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
Iatrogenic Infections
Same as Specific Defenses.
Immune Defenses
A specific resistance of the body to infection; it may be natural, or resistance may develop after exposure to a disease agent.
Immunity
Same as Antibodies.
Immunoglobulins
The disease process produced by microorganisms.
Infection
Local and nonspecific defensive tissue response to injury or destruction of cells.
Inflammation
Practices that prevent the spread of infection and communicable diseases.
Isolation
White blood cells.
Leukocytes
An increase in the number of white blood cells.
Leukocytosis
An infection that is limited to the specific part of the body where the microorganisms remain.
Local Infection
All practices intended to confine a specific microorganism to a specific area, limiting the number, growth, and spread of microorganisms.
Medical Asepsis
Bodily defenses that protect a person against all microorganisms, regardless of prior exposure.
Nonspecific Defenses
Infections that originate in a hospital.
Nosocomial Infections
Skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties.
Occupational Exposure
A microorganism causing disease only in susceptible individual.
Opportunistic Pathogen
Microorganisms that live in or on another from which it obtains nourishment.
Parasites
A resistance of the body to infection in which the host receives natural or artificial antibodies produced by another source.
Passive Immunity
The ability to produce disease; a pathogen is a microorganism that causes disease.
Pathogenicity
Barriers such as gloves, mask, and gown used to protect individuals from contact with potentially infective materials.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Renewal, regrowth, the replacement of destroyed tissue cells by cells that are identical or similar in structure and function.
Regeneration
A source of microorganisms.
Reservoirs
Microorganisms that normally reside on the skin and mucous membranes, and inside the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
Resident Flora
The acts of covering the mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, proper disposal of tissues, and separating potentially infected individuals from others by at least 1 meter or having them wear a surgical mask.
Respiratory Hygiene/ Cough Etiquette
The presence of pathogenic organisms or their toxins in the blood or body tissues.
Sepsis
Occurs when bacteremia results in systemic infection.
Septicemia
Immune functions directed against identifiable bacteria viruses, fungi, or other infectious agents; also called Immune Defenses.
Specific Defenses
The risk of caregiver exposure to client body tissues and fluids rather that the suspected presence of absence or infectious organisms determines the use of clean gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection.
Standard Precautions (SP)
A microorganism- free area.
Sterile Field
Practices that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms; also called surgical asepsis.
Sterile Technique
A process that destroyed all microorganisms, including spores and viruses.
Sterilization
Practices that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms; also called sterile technique.
Surgical Asepsis
Occurs when pathogens spread and damage different parts of the body.
Systemic Infection
Techniques to be used with all clients to decrease the risk of transmitting unidentified pathogens.
Universal Precautions (UP)
Transport of an infectious agent from an animal or flying or crawling insect that serves as an intermediate means via biting or depositing feces or other materials on the skin.
Vector-Borne Transmission
Transport of an infectious agent into a susceptible host via any intermediate substance.
Vehicle-Borne Transmission
Ability to produce disease.
Virulence
Nucleic acid-based infectious agents.
Viruses
