Infections Flashcards
Pathogens
Infectious agents: parasite, amoeba, fungi, virus, bacteria
Reservoir
sources of infectious agent; can be inanimate or animate
Portal of Exit
means for leaving the host
Transmission
mechanism required for infection to move from one source to the next
Indirect Contact Transmission
Droplet, airborne, vector borne
Droplet Transmission
produced when sneezing, coughing, and talking; travel short distances, do not stay suspended in air
(i.e. TB)
Airborne Transmission
Produced when coughing or sneezing; can be suspended in air for long periods of time (i.e. Diphtheria, varicella)
Vector borne Transmission
animals or insects as intermediaries (i.e. Yellow Fever, malaria)
Direct Transmission
contracted by touching infected host or object touched by host (i.e. MRSA)
Nosocomial Infections
infection acquired in the inpatient health setting which were not present or incubating at admission.
Endogenous infection
infection from a client’s flora
Exogenous infection
from outside the client
Sterilization
destroys all living orgs and bacterial spores
Disinfection
reduces the lvl of disease-producing orgs; does not kill spores
Standard precautions
apply to all body secretions, moist membranes and tissues, excludes perspiration
-includes: hand hygiene, PPE, environmental control, pt resuscitation, soiled pt equipment, textiles and laundry, respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, safe injection practices, pt placement
