Preventing Infection Terms vocabulary Flashcards
Asepsis
Being free of disease-producing microbes
Biohazardous waste
Items contaminated with blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions; bio means “life,” and hazardous means “dangerous” or “harmful”
Carrier
A human or animal that is a reservoir for microbes but does not have signs and symptoms of infection.
Clean technique
Medical asepsis
Communicable disease
A disease caused by pathogens that spread easily; a contagious disease.
Contagious disease
Communicable disease
Contamination
The process of becoming unclean.
disinfection
The process of destroying pathogens.
Germicide
A disinfection applied to skin, tissues, or non-living objects.
Immunity
Protection against a certain disease.
Infection
A disease resulting from the invasion and growth of microbes in the body.
Medical asepsis
Practise used to remove or destroy pathogens and to prevent their spread from one person or place to another person or place; clean technique.
Microbe
A microorganism
microorganism
A small (micro) living plant or animal (organism) seen only with a microscope; a microbe.
Non-pathogen
A microbe that does not usually cause an infection.
Normal flora
Microbes that live and grow in a certain area.
Nosocomial infection
An infection acquired during a stay in a health agency.
Pathogen
A microbe that is harmful and can cause an infection.
Spore
A bacterium protected by a hard shell
Sterile
The absence of all microbes
Sterile Field
A work area free of all pathogens and non-pathogens (including spores).
Sterile technique
Surgical asepsis
Sterilization
The process of destroying all microbes
Surgical asepsis
The practices that keep items free of all microbes; sterile techniques.
