Infection Control Fundamentals

Question 1

alcohol-based hand disinfectants (AHD)

Answer 1

gels, foams, or liquids with an alcohol content of 60% to 95% that are used for hand disinfectants

Question 2

asepsis

Answer 2

the condition in which pathogens are absent or controlled

Question 3

carrier

Answer 3

A reservoir host who is unaware of the presence of a pathogen and so spreads the disease while exhibiting no symptoms of infection

Question 4

Endogenous infection

Answer 4

An infection in which an abnormality or a malfunction in routine body process cause normally beneficial or harmless microorganisms to become pathogenic

Question 5

Engineered safety devices

Answer 5

Devices specifically designed to isolate or remove a hazard; these include needles with safety shields and self-shielding needles

Question 6

Exogenous infection

Answer 6

An infection that is caused by the introduction of a pathogen from outside the body

Question 7

fomite

Answer 7

An inanimate object, such as clothing, body fluids, water, or food, that may be contaminated with infectious organisms and thus transmit disease

Question 8

General duty clause

Answer 8

An OSHA clause that requires an employer to maintain a workplace free from hazards that are recognized as likely to cause death or serious injury

Question 9

Health care-associated infections

Answer 9

Infections acquired by a patient in a healthcare facility

Question 10

Other potentially infectious materials

Answer 10

Human body fluids, other than blood, that have the potential of containing infectious agents; these include but are not limited to semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood, and unfixed tissues

Question 11

Pathogen

Answer 11

A microorganism capable of causing disease

Question 12

Reservoir host

Answer 12

An animal, insect, or human whose body is susceptible to growth of a pathogen