Infection Terms NUR3

Question 1

microorganism or infectious agent that can cause disease in a host organism.

Answer 1

Pathogen

Question 2

microorganisms that reside on and within the body without causing disease under normal circumstances. They are present on the skin, in the oral cavity, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract. They play important roles in maintaining health, such as preventing the overgrowth of harmful microbes, synthesizing vitamins, and supporting immune function.

Answer 2

Normal flora

Question 3

life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. It occurs when an infection triggers a dysregulated inflammatory response throughout the body.

Answer 3

Sepsis

Question 4

the severity or harmfulness of a disease

Answer 4

Virulence

Question 5

infections occuring due to bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites that normally do not cause a disease, but become pathogenic when the body’s defense system is impaired

Answer 5

Opportunistic epidemiology

Question 6

Bacteria in the blood

Answer 6

Bacteremia

Question 7

an individual who harbors a specific infectious agent but shows no clinical symptoms of disease.

Answer 7

Carrier

Question 8

an illness caused by an infectious agent that can spread from one person to another through various transmission routes

Answer 8

Communicable

Question 9

diagnostic test that involves growing microorganisms from a patient’s sample (such as blood, urine, or wound) in a controlled environment to identify the specific pathogen causing the infection

Answer 9

Culture

Question 10

practices that remove or kill microorganisms on the hands to prevent the spread of infection.

Answer 10

hand hygiene

Question 11

the invasion and multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, within the body’s tissues or fluids, causing disease or illness.

Answer 11

Infection

Question 12

the process of oxygen transport to the cells and carbon dioxide transport away from the cells through ventilation and diffusion. It involves inhalation of oxygen-rich air into the lungs, diffusion of oxygen into the bloodstream and cellular tissues, diffusion of carbon dioxide waste from tissues into the blood, and exhalation of carbon dioxide from the lungs. This vital process allows for the delivery of oxygen to cells for metabolism and removal of metabolic waste carbon dioxide from the body.

Answer 12

Gas exchange

Question 13

scratch or scrape on the clear, protective outer layer of the eye called the cornea

Answer 13

Corneal abrasion

Question 14

measures taken to prevent the occurrence or transmission of infectious diseases before exposure to a pathogen. It includes practices like proper handwashing, immunizations, safe food handling, vector control, and using protective barriers like masks or gloves

Answer 14

Primary prevention

Question 15

early detection and prompt treatment of infectious diseases to limit their spread and severity. It involves identifying and isolating cases, tracing contacts, screening high-risk populations, and providing timely treatment. The goal is to reduce the risk of transmission and prevent complications by intervening at the earliest possible stage after exposure or onset of infection.

Answer 15

Secondary prevention

Question 16

infection and inflammation of the mastoid bone, which is the bony protrusion behind the ear. It often results as a complication of acute otitis media (middle ear infection) when the infection spreads from the middle ear to the mastoid air cells

Answer 16

Mastoiditis