Fundamentals: Infection Prevention and Control

Question 1

Pathogen

Answer 1

Infectious agent

Question 2

Colonization

Answer 2

Organism that multiplies within a host, but does not cause an infection.

Question 3

Infectious Disease

Answer 3

Illnesses such as viral meningitis or pneumonia

Question 4

Communicable Disease

Answer 4

An infectious disease that is transmitted directly from one person to another.

Question 5

pH

Answer 5

acidity of the environment

Question 6

Portal of exit and portal of entry

Answer 6

Sites such as blood, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, genitourinary tract, and gastrointestinal tract.

Question 7

Virulence

Answer 7

Ability to survive in the host or outside the body

Question 8

Susceptibility

Answer 8

Individual’s degree of resistance to pathogens

Question 9

Immunocompromised

Answer 9

Having an impaired immune system

Question 10

Reservoir

Answer 10

A place where a pathogen survives, multiplies, and await transfer. Humans and animals (host) or insects, food, water, and organic material (fomites)

Question 11

Carriers

Answer 11

Persons who show no symptoms of illness but who have the pathogens that are transferred to others.

Question 12

Aerobic bacteria

Answer 12

Bacteria that require oxygen for survival

Question 13

Anaerobic bacteria

Answer 13

Bacteria that thrive with little to no free oxygen

Question 14

Bacteriostasis

Answer 14

Prevention of the growth and reproduction of bacteria by cold temperatures.

Question 15

Bactericidal

Answer 15

a temperature or chemical that destroys bacteria.

Question 16

What is the chain of infection

Answer 16

Infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, modes of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host.

Question 17

Infectious agent

Answer 17

bacteria, virus, fungi, protozoa.
Virulence.
Organisms may be readily transmitted unless removed using hand hygiene.

Question 18

Modes of transmission

Answer 18

hand hygiene (major route of transmission for pathogens is unwashed hands)

Question 19

Most common modes of transmission

Answer 19

Direct, indirect, droplet, airborne, vehicles, vectors

Question 20

Direct

Answer 20

person to person (fecal, oral). Physical contact between source and susceptible host.

Question 21

Indirect

Answer 21

personal contact of susceptible host with contaminated inanimate object

Question 22

droplet

Answer 22

large particles that travel up to 3ft during coughing, sneezing, or carried.

Question 23

Vehicles

Answer 23

contaminated items, water, drugs, solutions, blood, on dust particles.

Question 24

Vectors

Answer 24

external mechanical transfer (flies), internal transmission such as parasitic conditions between vector and host such as mosquito, tick, louse, flea.

Question 25

Types of infection

Answer 25

localized and systemic

Question 26

Localized infection

Answer 26

patient usually experiences localized symptoms such as pain, tenderness, warmth, and redness around the wound site.

Question 27

Systemic infection

Answer 27

an infection that affects the entire body instead of just a single organ or part.

Question 28

health care associated infections (nasocomial)

Answer 28

Iatrogenic, exogenous, endogenous

Question 29

Iatrogenic

Answer 29

caused by an invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedure (bronchoscopy and treatments with broad spectrum anitbiotics)

Question 30

Exogenous

Answer 30

comes from microorganisms found outside the individual. These microorganisms do not exist in normal flora

Question 31

Endogenous

Answer 31

occurs when part of the patient’s flora becomes altered and an overgrowth occurs.

Question 32

Factors influencing a patients susceptibility to infection

Answer 32

age, nutritional status, stress, disease process.

Question 33

Age

Answer 33

an infant or elderly has immature or weakened defenses against infections.

Question 34

Nutritional status

Answer 34

a patients nutritional health directly influences susceptibility to infection

Question 35

Stress

Answer 35

body responds to emotions or physical stress by the general adaption syndrome.

Question 36

Disease process

Answer 36

patient with diseases of the immune system are at a particular risk for infection.

Question 37

Medical asepsis

Answer 37

confines a microorganism to an area and limits the growth. Ex: hand hygiene, barrier techniques, and routine environmental cleaning.

Question 38

Surgical asepsis

Answer 38

Keep an area clean of a microorganism and destroy the microorganism

Question 39

Hand hygiene

Answer 39

4 techniques: handwashing, antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub, and surgical hand antiseptic.

Question 40

Alcohol based hand rubs

Answer 40

effective standard hand washing. Antiseptics containing 60-90% are the most effective against common pathogens found of hands.

Question 41

Disinfection

Answer 41

Process that eliminates many or all microorganisms with exception to bacterial spores.

Question 42

Sterilization

Answer 42

eliminates or destroys all forms of microbial life, including spores.

Question 43

Standard precautions

Answer 43

Prevents and controls infections transmission. These apply to contact with blood, body fluid, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes.

Question 44

Contact isolation

Answer 44

used for direct and indirect contact with patients

Question 45

droplet isolation

Answer 45

focuses on diseases that are transmitted by large droplets (> 5 micros) expelled into air and by being within 3ft. of patient.

Question 46

Airborne isolation

Answer 46

focuses on diseases that are transmitted by smaller droplets, which remain in the air for longer periods of time.

Question 47

Why use gowns

Answer 47

prevent soiling of clothes during contact with a patient.

Question 48

why use masks

Answer 48

provide respiratory protection.

Question 49

why use protective eyewear

Answer 49

(special glasses or goggles) to perform procedures that generate splashes or spatters.

Question 50

why use gloves

Answer 50

prevent the transmission of pathogens by direct or indirect contact.

Question 51

Seven principles of surgical asepsis

Answer 51

1. a sterile object remains sterile only when touched by another sterile object.
2. only sterile objects may be placed on sterile field.
3. A sterile object or field out of range of vision or an object held below a person’s waste is contaminated.
4. A sterile object or field becomes contaminated by prolonged exposure to air.
5. When a sterile surface comes into contact with a wet, contaminated surface, the sterile object of filed becomes contaminated by capillary action.
6. Fluid flows in the direction of gravity.
7. The edges of a sterile field or container are considered to be contaminated.