Infection

Question 1

bacteremia

Answer 1

condition resulting from microorganisms escaping the lymph nodes and reaching the bloodstream, which may lead to sepsis.

Question 2

carrier

Answer 2

human or animal that harbors an infectious microorganisms but does not show active evidence of the disease

Question 3

colonization

Answer 3

condition in which microorganisms are present, but the host does not manifest signs or symptoms of infection

Question 4

communicable diseases

Answer 4

infections transmitted from one source to another

Question 5

community-acquired infections

Answer 5

diseases that are not present or incubating before care from one infected person or reservoir to another

Question 6

contagious diseases

Answer 6

communicable diseases that can spread rapidly among individuals in close proximity to each other

Question 7

culture

Answer 7

a test used to identify bacteria within a specimen taken from a person with symptoms of an infection

Question 8

emerging infectious diseases

Answer 8

disorder caused by microorganisms that are new or have had a resurgence in the last two decades

Question 9

epidemics

Answer 9

rapidly spreading infectious disease in a particular region

Question 10

fomites

Answer 10

nonliving environment in which an infectious agent can survive and reproduce

Question 11

health care-associated infections

Answer 11

acquired while being cared for in a health care agency, which were not active, incubatory, or chronic at the time of admission

Question 12

host

Answer 12

person on or in whom a microorganism resides

Question 13

immunizations

Answer 13

vaccines that stimulate the body to produce antibodies against a specific disease organism

Question 14

infection

Answer 14

invasion of the body with pathogens or their toxins

Question 15

leukocytosis

Answer 15

increased number of leukocytes above normal limits

Question 16

method of transmission

Answer 16

method by which microorganisms are transferred or moved from a reservoir to a susceptible host

Question 17

microorganisms

Answer 17

potentially infectious agents that are so small they can be seen only with a microscope; commonly called “germs.”

Question 18

multidrug resistance

Answer 18

ability of some types of bacteria to remain unaffected by several antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics

Question 19

nonpathogens

Answer 19

microorganisms that are generally harmless to healthy humans

Question 20

opportunistic infections

Answer 20

condition in which nonpathogenic or remotely pathogenic microorganisms take advantage of a favorable situation and overwhelm the host; also called superinfections

Question 21

pandemic

Answer 21

rapidly spreading disease infecting large numbers of people throughout the world

Question 22

pathogens

Answer 22

microorganisms that have a high potential to cause infectious diseases

Question 23

phagocytosis

Answer 23

process of engulfing and digesting bacteria and foreign material

Question 24

portal of entry

Answer 24

route through which an infectious agent gains entrance into a susceptible host

Question 25

portal of exit

Answer 25

route through which an infectious agent exits from a reservoir

Question 26

prion

Answer 26

protein that does not contain nucleic acid and that, after undergoing a mutant change, is capable of becoming an infectious agent

Question 27

reemerging infectious diseases

Answer 27

disorder caused by microorganisms that are new or have had a resurgence in the last two decades within and beyond a geographic range

Question 28

reservoir

Answer 28

human, animal, nonliving environment in which an infectious agent can survive and reproduce

Question 29

sensitivity

Answer 29

studies performed to determine which antibiotic inhibits the growth of a nonviral microorganism and will be most effective in treating an infection

Question 30

sepsis

Answer 30

systemic inflammatory response syndrome resulting from infection

Question 31

septicemia

Answer 31

condition resulting from microorganisms escaping the lymph nodes and reaching the bloodstream, which may lead to sepsis

Question 32

severe sepsis

Answer 32

preseptic shock condition that develops when sepsis is combined with organ hypoperfusion

Question 33

susceptibility

Answer 33

potential for infection or disease

Question 34

transmission-based precautions

Answer 34

actions that interfere with the manner in which a particular pathogen is spread

Question 35

virulence

Answer 35

power of a microorganism to produce disease

Question 36

zoonotic pathogens

Answer 36

microorganisms that spread to animals and then to humans