Medical terms Flashcards
Biosecurity
A set of measures to prevent introduction and spread of
infectious diseases.
Asepsis
Absence of microorganisms that cause disease.
Aseptic technique
Method to prevent contamination by microorganisms.
Antisepsis
Exclusion, destruction, or inhibition of growth or multiplication of microorganisms from body tissues and fluids.
Antiseptics
Chemical compounds inhibiting the growth of microorganisms without necessarily killing them.
Sterile
Free of living organisms.
To sterilize
To make an object sterile (destroying bacteria, viruses, fungi,
protozoa).
Sterile technique
Method by which contamination with microorganisms is prevented to maintain sterility throughout the surgical procedure.
- Sterile personnel gowned & gloved
- Sterile personnel touch only sterile items/areas
- Sterile drapes are used to create a sterile field
- Use only sterile items within a sterile field
- All sterile items should be opened, dispensed and transferred by methods that maintain sterility
- The field should be monitored constantly and the surgical staff should be able to recognise when they have broken technique and act accordingly
Disinfection
Chemical or mechanical destruction of pathogens.
Decontamination
Cleaning and disinfecting or sterilizing processes carried
out to make contaminated items safe to handle.
Infection
- Invasion and multiplication of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses, parasites) that are not normally present at the site
- Potentially devastating and challenging complication of surgery
- In hospital settings, transmission of microorganisms is most
commonly contact-related - All possible measures should be taken to reduce the risk of iatrogenic infection
Draping
- Creating & maintaining sterile field around the operative site with
nonabsorbant towels - Performed by a gowned and gloved team member when antiseptics have dried
- One at a time
- Drapes should not be flipped or shaken
- Once placed, should not be readjusted
- After the animal and nearby nonsterile surfaces have been covered with sterile drapes, the instrument tray can be arranged, and surgery can begin
Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage (bleeding):
An abnormal escape of blood from an artery, a vein, an arteriole, a venule or a capillary network
- Caused by traumatic injury/medical condition
- External/internal
- Primary hemorrhage occurs soon after an injury
- Secondary hemorrhage follows an injury after a considerable lapse of
time - Arterial/ venous/ capillary/ parenchymatous
Surgical site infection (SSI)
Infections that directly result from surgical procedures.
- Incisional (actual site of incision)
- Superficial (skin and sc tissue)
- Deep (deep soft tissue layers
[muscle, fascia])
- Organ/space (infection of an anatomic part that was manipulated)
- Infection occurs within 30 days of the surgical procedure or within 1
year if associated with surgical implant
Clinical signs:
-redness
-swelling
-heat
-serous discharge
-wound dehiscence (avautuminen)
-fever, weakness, anorexia
Implants
Foreign substances used to support, rebuild or mimic function of
an anatomic structure.
Biofilm
Colony of microorganisms, within a matrix of extracellular polymeric substance that they produce (biofilm microorganisms usually
resistant to AB).
Prophylactic (ennaltaehkäisevä) use of antibiotics
- Significant risk of infection
- Infection would be catastrofic
- Must be present at the site during the time of potential contamination
- Not a substitute for proper aseptic technique
- Rational selection of AB
- Effective against at least 80% of probable pathogens
- Cefazolin (cefuroxime)
- No adverse effects on platelet
aggregation, bleeding time,
platelet size or count,
prothrombin or activated partial
thromboplastin time
- No adverse effects on platelet
- Given 30 – 60 min i.v. before incision and discontinued within 24 h (ideally at the end of the procedure)
Therapeutic use of antibiotics
- Ideally based on culture and susceptibility results
- Delay might be problematic
- Based on clinical judgement, knowledge of the antibiotic’s mechanism of action, microbiologic factors
Indicated in patients with:
* Overwhelming systemic infection
* When infection is present at the
surgical site or in a body cavity
* With any contaminated or dirty
surgical procedure
- Ideal drug is the least toxic, kills bacteria at the site of infection and
does not negatively influence the host immune system - Generally instituted/started before surgery and continued 2-3 days after
apparent resolution of infection
Wound
Injury to the body that results in disruption of the continuity
of the body structure.
Dead space and drainage
Dead space:
Resulting from suturing of large wounds promotes fluid
accumulation, which is a good medium for growth of bacteria
Drainage:
Necessary at times (moderate contamination or a large dead space)
Passive drains (Penrose drain)
1. Easier to insert, cost less
2. Draining under gravity
3. Risk of ascending infection
Active drains
1. Creation of vacuum that removes fluid by suction
2. Can be placed anywhere on the body
3. Containers need to be emptied regularly
- Removal as soon as possible
Debridement
The removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue.
In case of debris or necrotic tissue, anaesthesia often required.
Objective to convert the open contaminated wound into a surgically clean wound.
Nosocomial infections
Caused by environmentally resistant bacteria during hospitalization/surgery.
Risk factors:
* Overuse of antibiotics
* Indwelling (sisäinen) catheters
* Diagnostic procedures
* Advanced age
* Chronic debilitating disease
Prevention – control of the hospital
environment, rational AB use
Flail chest
At least two continuous ribs fractured, each at two locations. It results in a portion of the thoracic wall that will move in a paradoxical motion during inspiration and expiration.
Flail chest refers to a freely movable segment of the thoracic wall secondary to fractures of consecutive ribs.
In most cases of flail chest, each affected rib is fractured at multiple sites.
