Infection control Flashcards
Any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any part, organ, or system of the body
What am I?
Disease
Establishment and growth of a microorganism
on/in a host, resulting in injury to the host
What am I?
Infection
Pathogens have three functions:
- Multiply and cause obstructions
- Cause tissue damage
- Secrete organic exotoxins
List 4 TYPES of pathogens:
Bacteria
Virus
Fungi
Parasitic Protozoa
Microscopic, single celled organisms with a simple internal organization. What am I?
Bacteria
Bacteria resides in a host as a group or cluster called a ___
Colony
______ lack nuclei and membrane-bound organelles
Prokaryotes
Bacteria contains both ____ and ____
DNA and RNA
Microscopic single cells that are a much simpler form than bacteria or animal cells. What am I?
Viruses (virions)
____ can NOT live outside a living cell - they lack components for their own survival
Viruses
____ carry their own DNA and RNA but NEVER both
Viruses
Virion (viruses) use three processes:
- Attach to host cell
- Inserts its own genetic information
- Redirects host cell to produce new virus
Attach, insert and redirect ** AIR ** (think virus in the air)
____ is NOT affected by antibiotics
Viruses
Size of virus may vary from ___ to ___ nm
20 to 250 nm
Direct observation of a virus is possible only through an electron _____
Microscope
_____ may lie dormant for extended periods of time and then manifest in illness
Viruses
____ have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles
Eukaryotic
Medically important fungi are called ____
Dimorphic
True or False
Fungi size is much larger than bacteria
True
List 2 forms of Fungi:
Yeast
Mold
Diseases caused by fungi can be of 4 different classifications:
1 superficial
2 cutaneous
3 subcutaneous
4 systemic
_____ are unicellular organisms that are neither plant nor animal
Parasitic Protozoa
True or False
Parasitic Protozoa is larger than bacteria
True
Parasitic Protozoa are ____ (eukaryotic/prokaryotic)
Eukaryotic
Bacteria is _____ (eukaryotic/prokaryotic)
Prokaryotic
_____ live on or in other organisms at the expense of host
Parasitic Protozoa
_____ can ingest food particles, and some are equipped with digestive systems
Parasitic Protozoa
Parasitic Protozoa are classified by their motility:
(List 4)
Ameboid
Flagellum
Cilia
Sporozoans
Establishment of infectious disease
—> infectious disease state
(List 6)
Encounter
Entry
Spread
Multiply
Damage
Outcome
____ involves the infectious organism coming in contact with the host
(Encounter, entry, spread, multiply, damage, outcome)
Encounter
Encounters occur during ___ of host
Lifetime
_____: access to the organism through a portal of entry
(Encounter, entry, spread, multiply, damage, outcome)
Entry
Entry has 2 types:
Ingression
Penetration
_____: the propagation of the infectious organism. Requires overcoming body’s immune defenses
(Encounter, entry, spread, multiply, damage, outcome)
Spread
Degree of spreading is a function of the logistics of BOTH the ___ and the ____
Host and the microbe
_____: the growth in microbe numbers as a function of mitosis
(Encounter, entry, spread, multiply, damage, outcome)
Multiplication
_____ is the incubation period
Multiplication
2 forms of damage:
Direct
Indirect
_____: microbe can induce a host response that also causes tissue and cell death through activation of the hosts inflammatory and immune responses
(Encounter, entry, spread, multiply, damage, outcome)
Damage
_____: host gains control of infectious agent and eliminates it.
Infectious agent overcomes hosts immunities to cause disease
Host and infectious agent compromise and live a sort of symbiotic state
(Encounter, entry, spread, multiply, damage, outcome)
Outcome
List 3 routes for disease transmission
Air
Droplets
Contact
2 avenues of transmission :
Exogenous
Endogenous
What can cause infection?
pathogenic organisms
List a few examples of diseases:
-pneumonia
-TB
-gastroenteritis
Only when the infection results in ____ to the host, is the host said to have a ____
-injury
-disease
Only when the infection results in ____ to the host, is the host said to have a ____
-injury
-disease
Pathogenic microorganisms cause :
Infectious diseases
Bacteria is classified and identified according to their:
Morphology
Biochemistry
Genetic constitution
The MEDICALLY important BACTERIA are classified as THREE general morphologies:
Cocci/spheres
Bacilli/rods
Spirals
Morphology is the size or shape of the bacteria and is routinely determined by a simple staining technique called _____
Gram staining
____ are neither prokaryotic nor eukaryotic, they are considered obligate intracellular parasites
Viruses
Viruses are characterized by the chemical nature of their:
Nucleic acid
Size
Symmetry
Viral infection is the result of a viral particle also called a ___
Virion
A ____ attaches to a host cell and inserts its genetic info into the host
Virion
____ can be microscopic, such as yeasts and molds
Fungi
Having the ability to grow in two distinct forms (yeast or filamentous hyphae) is known as?
Dimorphic
(Medically important pathogenic fungi)
Filamentous hypha is better known as ?
Mold
Fungi are classified according to the type of method of:
Sexual reproduction
Discoloration of the skin is considered a ____ infection
Superficial infection
____ infections involve the keratinized tissues of the hair, nails and skin
Cutaneous
List an example of a superficial infection
Tinea Nigra
(a fungal infection that results in painless black or brown discoloration of the hand and foot)
List an example of a cutaneous infection
Athletes foot
______ is an infection that enters the human host as a result of trauma to the skin
Subcutaneous infection
_____ is an infection that enters the circulatory and lymphatic systems and may be fatal
Systemic infection
(I like to think “system” as in your system is shutting down/could be life threatening)
______ are distinguished from bacteria by their greater size and by the fact that they do not possess a cell wall
Parasitic Protozoa
Protozoa are classified according to their motility, the 1st group is classified by its slow cellular flowing, called _____
Ameboid
The motility of the 2nd group (Protozoa) is facilitated by a long ____, or protein tail.
Flagellum
The motility of the 3rd group (Protozoa) moves by the action of numerous short protein tails called ____
Cilia
The fourth groups motility (Protozoa) is called _____. This group is unique in that its members are nonmotile and do not form spores as do bacteria and fungi
Sporozoans
True or False
If at any point the infection chain is broken, the cycle can NOT continue, the infection will cease.
True
For infections to be transmitted the following must exist:
(List the chain in order)
Host > infectious microorganism > mode of transportation > reservoir
Microorganisms include:
(List 4)
Bacteria
Fungi
Viruses
Protozoa
Mode of transportation: list 2 avenues
Exogenous
Endogenous
Microorganisms being transmitted from OUTSIDE of the body is called ____
Exogenous
(Think exo as in exiting “outside”)
Microorganisms being transmitted from INSIDE the body is called ____
Endogenous
A ____ is usually an arthropod (i.e., mosquito, flea, tick)
Vector
it consumes its blood meal from its human host, then it can ingest an infectious microbe from the blood.
What is it?
A vector
A ____ is an inanimate object that has been in contact with an infectious organism
Fomite
List a few examples of fomites:
Food and water
Radiographic equipment
Latex gloves
List an example of a vector
A deer tick that transmits Lyme disease is considered a vector
Vector vs fomite. Whats the difference?
Vector is through the blood
Fomite is through inanimate objects
A ____ is the site where an infectious organism can remain alive and from which transmission can occur
Reservoir
People, animals and inanimate objects can all serve as:
Reservoir
A person who serves as a reservoir is called a ___
Carrier
A ____ is an infected person who does not display the disease symptoms
Carrier
________ are infections that people acquire while they are receiving treatment in a healthcare setting for another condition
Healthcare - associated infections (HAIs)
Specifically, hospital-acquired conditions are known as ____
Nosocomial
An infection that is the result of intervention with a physician is an ___ infection
iatrogenic
An _____ infection is strictly limited to the physician, not where the patient acquired the infection
Example: a patient may develop pneumonia after a lung biopsy by a physician. Improper handwashing by the physician between patients could also result in this infection
iatrogenic
Hospital patients have a greater sensitivity to infection. Many patients have a weakened resistance to infectious organisms because of their illness. These patients are said to be ____
Compromised
(or immunosuppressed)
_____ can continually serve as activity colonizers of transient carriers, or they, themselves, can become infected
Medical personnel
Transmission between the hospital staff and the patient may be by ____ contact or through indirect contact by ____
Skin to skin contact
Ingestion or inhalation
_____ are disease causing microorganisms that may be present in human blood.
Blood-borne pathogens
_____ may be transmitted with any exposure to blood or infectious material, for this reason these pathogens are considered HAI’s
Blood-borne pathogens
List Two blood-borne pathogens that are of concern within the hospital setting:
HBV (hep B virus)
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
List a few factors that encourage Nosocomial infections (infections that come from the hospital)
Environment
Equipment
Contamination during medical procedures
List some patient factors that increase the potential for Nosocomial infections (infections from the hospital)
Age
Heredity
Nutritional status
Stress
Immunocompromised
____ is a virus that specifically infects the immune systems CD4+T cells in a human host
HIV
____ is responsible for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
HIV
Some symptoms of HIV include:
Weight loss
Muscle and joint pain
Night sweats
Glandular pain and swelling
True or False ?
HIV symptoms can remain latent for many years.
True
People with HIV may be asymptomatic after exposure to the virus for as long as ___ years
10 years
It may take up to ___ year/years for results of blood test to become positive for HIV antibodies
1 year
____ causes illness that primarily affects the liver. Resulting in swelling soreness and loss of normal liver function
HBV (hep b virus)
Symptoms of HBV (hepatitis b) are:
Weakness
Fatigue
Anorexia
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Fever
Headache
HBV leads to yellow skin color also known as ___
Jaundice
____ is the major cause of viral hepatitis
HBV
Some patients with HBV (hep b) are asymptomatic, however blood will test positive ____ to ___ weeks after symptoms develop
2 - 6 weeks
Patients with HBV can recover in ___ to ____ weeks, but blood tests will always show they were exposed.
6 - 8 weeks
What are the 2 defense mechanisms of the body?
Internal
External
List 3 internal mechanisms
Mechanical barriers
Chemical processes
Cellular processes
List 4 external mechanisms
Normal microbial flora
Physical methods
Chemotherapeutic agents
Immunization
List a physical method for external mechanisms in relation to defense of the body
Hand washing
______ incorporates the features of both body fluid precautions and body substance isolation.
Standard precautions
Standard precautions should be used when performing procedures that may require contact with:
Blood
Body fluids
Mucous membranes
Non-intact skin
Secretions/excretions
Biosafety in the rad department using standard precautions includes the following:
Handwashing
Gloving
Needle recapping
Biospills
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
____ is employed in conjunction with standard precautions
Transmission - based precautions
____ precaution is used on all patients with a pathogenic or communicable disease process
Transmission - based precaution
List 3 common transmission - based precautions
Airborne
Droplet
Contact
3 Examples of airborne diseases are:
TB
Varicella (chickenpox)
Rubeola (measles)
Airborne: Patients infected with pathogens that disseminate through the air are to be placed in a negative-pressure isolation room with the door ____ (open/closed)
Door closed
When caring for patients who are infected with pathogenic organisms such as rubella, mumps, influenza and adenovirus, ___ precautions should be used.
Droplet precautions
Patients that need droplet precautions are placed in a private room or with another patient who is infected with the same disease and the door remains ____ (open/closed)
Door remains open
Large droplets typically travel ___ feet before dropping to the ground
3
For ___ precautions, healthcare practitioners should wear respiratory protection that filters inspired air.
Airborne precautions
_____ precautions must be used when caring for a patient infected with virulent pathogen that spreads by direct contact with the patient or by indirect contact with a contaminated object
Contact precautions
Asepsis implies “___”
Freedom from infections
(This sounds so dumb but I think Asepsis - America, America is the land of the free 😂)
What are the two categories of asepsis ?
Surgical
Medical
____ asepsis is the procedure used to prevent contamination of microbes and endoscopes before, during, and after surgery using sterile technique
Surgical asepsis
______ asepsis involves a reduction in numbers of infectious agents, which in turn decreases the probability of infection but does not necessarily reduce it to zero.
Medical asepsis
_____ is the easiest way to break the chain of infection
Handwashing
What is a chemical method of asepsis?
Disinfectants
What are two types of disinfectants?
(Used for chemical method of asepsis)
Bacteriostatic
Bactericidal
A ____ agent stops bacterial growth
Bacteriostatic
(Think static as in “stays still/stops)
A ____ agent kills cells
Bactericidal
(Think suiCIDAL)
What’s a physical method of asepsis?
Sterilization
What is sterilization?
The absolute killing of all life forms
What is the most effective method for sterilizing?
Using heat
____ is a form of moist heat under pressure
Autoclave
List 2 effective methods of sterilization
Heat
Ultraviolet light (UV)
_____ absolutely must be performed before and after each patient is handled
Handwashing
____ provides the simplest method of environmental control of microbes
Handwashing
