Lesson 5 Vocab Flashcards
active infection
an infection in which signs and symptoms are present
acute infection
an infection that is time limited
aerobic bacteria
bacteria that require oxygen to grow
anaerobic bacteria
bacteria that do not require oxygen to grow
antibody
a protein specific to a certain antigen that weakens or destroys pathogens
antigen
a pathogen or any other substance that induces an antibody response
antiseptic
a cleaning agent that can be applied to living tissue to destroy pathogens
asepsis
a state in which pathogens are absent or reduced. There are two principal types of asepsis: medical and surgical
asymptomatic
without clinical signs or symptoms
autoclave
a device using steam for sterilization
bactericidal
killing microorganisms
bacteriostatic
reducing or inhibiting the number of microorganisms
chronic infection
an infection that is persistent over a long period, perhaps for life
contagious or communicable disease
a disease that is spread from person to person
contamination
the presence of pathogens on an object
disinfectant
a chemical substance that destroys or eliminates specific species of infectious microorganisms. It is not usually effective against bacterial spores.
disinfection
a more thorough removal of contaminants than sanitization but less thorough than sterilization
exacerbation
a period in which a chronic infection shows symptoms
immunity
an individual’s ability to fight off disease
immunoglobin
a serum that contains antibodies that can help protect an exposed person from contracting the disease
infection
a disease process that results from the entry and spread of a microorganism
latent infection
an infection in which the symptoms disappear and recur, but the disease-causing agent remains in the body
local infection
an infection that is confined to a specific region of the body, for example, a finger
microorganism
an organism so small that it can only be seen under a microscope
nonpathogenic
not causing disease
nosocomial infection
a hospital-related infection; one that is not present or incubating when a patient is admitted to a hospital or health care facility
opportunistic infection
an infection that does not ordinarily cause disease but does so under certain circumstances, for example, in compromised immune systems; so called because it takes advantage of an “opportunity”
otitis media
infection of the middle ear
pandemic
a global outbreak of a specific disease that does or has the potential go affect a large population
pathogen
a microorganism that causes disease
quality assurance
any systematic process that checks if a product or service is meeting specified requirements. In health care, it is a systematic assessment to ensure that services are of the highest possible quality using existing resources
quarantine
isolating or separating a patient, patient-care unit, or facility
recurrent infection
a distinct episode of an infection after recovery from the initial infection; may involve the same pathogens or different ones
relapse
the reemergence of an initial infection after it appears to have subsided but has not been cured
remission
periods without symptoms
sanitization
removal of gross contaminants and some microorganisms from instruments, skin, and so on; the lowest level of medical hygiene
sanitizer
a substance that significantly reduces the bacterial population in an inanimate environment but does not destroy all bacteria or other microorganisms
septicemia
an infection in the blood stream that can worsen rapidly and is often life threatening
sharp
any instrument with a sharp edge or point, such as a scalpel, scissors, or a needle
Standard Precautions
a set of internationally accepted infection control measures, policies, and procedures used in health care facilities to prevent the transmission of diseases that can be acquired by contact with blood, body fluids, nonintact skin (including rashes), and mucous membranes. These measures protect both health professionals and patients.
sterile
completely free of pathogens
sterile techniques
methods to avoid contamination of sterile materials
sterilization
the process of destroying all microorganisms, including bacterial endospores and viruses. This is the highest level of cleanliness
systemic infection
an infection that has spread to more than one region of the body
teratogenic
causing abnormalities in the fetus
topical
applied to the skin or affected area
virulence
the power of a microbe to produce disease in a particular host
