Infection Control Flashcards
What is infection?
Invasion of the body, or part of the body by a pathogenic agent producing an injurious effect
What is a pathogen?
A microorganism capable of producing disease
What is bacteria?
Most significant and most prevalent in hospital setting
What shape is a spherical bacteria?
Cocci
What is rod shaped bacteria called?
Bacilli
What is the corkscrew bacteria shape called?
Spirochetes
If bacteria is gram positive what color does it turn?
Violet; have a thick cell wall that resists decolorization (loss of color)
If bacteria is gram negative what happens?
They chemically have more complex cell walls and can’t be decolorized by alcohol
What is aerobic?
Bacteria that require oxygen to live and grow
What is anaerobic?
Bacteria that can live without oxygen
What is a virus?
Smallest of all microorganisms
What is fungi?
Plant-like organisms present in air, soil, and water; they are highly resistant (ex. Yeast infection, athletes foot)
what are prions?
Protein particle (new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)
What are parasites?
Protozoa (malaria, toxoplasmosis, and helminths (worms, flatworms, roundworms)
What is an opportunistic pathogen?
May become pathogenic in certain circumstances
What is virulence?
Relative power and degree of pathogenicity; ability to produce disease
What are the factors affecting an organisms potential to produce disease?
- Number of organisms
- Virulence
- Competence of person’s immune system
- Length and intimacy of contact between person and microorganism
What are Healthcare-associated Infection (HAI)?
Acquired in healthcare agency during course of treatment for other infections; no noted as being present upon admission
What is nosocomial?
Infection taking place or originating while in hospital
What is an Iatrogenic infection?
Acquired as a direct result of treatment/procedure (ex. Inserting Fowler catheter)
What are the 6 Chain of infection?
- Infectious Agent
- Reservoir
- Portal of Exit
- Means of transmission
- Portal of Entry
- Susceptible host
What is Infectious agent?
Infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites
What is a reservoir?
Source of microorganism where they grow and multiply; such as people, animals, soil, insects, food, water, milk, inanimate objects, and plants
What is portal of exit?
Point of escape from reservoir such as respiratory, GI,GU, or reproductive tract, breaks in skin (wound), blood and tissue