Chapter 19: Infection Control

Antibodies.

Protein substances produced in the blood or tissues, in response to a specific antigen, that destroy or weaken the antigen.

Antiseptics.

Substances that inhibit the growth of microorganisms on living tissue.

Autoimmune.

A disease in which the body produces antibodies that attack its own tissues and cells, leading to the deterioration of structure or function.

Candidasis.

An infection caused by a yeast, Candida albicans, that typially affects the vaginal mucosa and skin.

Communicable.

Diseases spread from person to person, either by direct or nondirect contact.

Defecation.

The act of voiding waste from the bowels through the anus; the act of having a bowel movement.

Degenerative.

An illness resulting from the deterioration of tissues and organs.

Disinfectant.

Any chemical agent used on nonliving objects to destroy or inhibit the growth of harmful organisms.

Fatigue.

Extreme tiredness.

Germicides.

Agents that destroy pathogenic organisms.

Hereditary.

Passed from parents to offspring through the genes.

Impervious.

Not permitting penetration.

Inanimate.

Not animate; lifeless.

Ingested.

Taken, as food, into the body.

Inhalation.

The act of breathing in.

Interferon.

A protein formed when a cell is exposed to a virus.

Malaise.

A condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort.

Noninvasive procedures.

Procedures that do not penetrate human tissue.

Nosocomial infections.

Infections acquired in a healthcare setting.

Parenteral.

Taken into the body by any route other than the digestive tract.

Pathogenic.

Capable of producing disease.

Pyemia.

The presence of pus-forming organisms in the blood.

Relapse.

The recurrence of the symptoms of a disease after apparent recovery.

Remission.

The partial or complete disappearance of the clinical and subjective characteristics of a chronic or malignant disease.

Spore.

A thick-walled, dormant form of bacteria that is very resistant to disinfection measures.

Standard Precautions.

A set of infection control practices used to prevent the transmission of diseases that can be acquired by contact with blood, body fluids, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes.

Sterile.

Free of all microorganisms, pathogenic and nonpathogenic.

Tinea.

Any fungal skin disease that results in scaling, itching, and inflammation.

Transmission.

The passage or spread of disease.

Vectors.

Animals or insects that transmit a pathogen.

One of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of disease.

Washing your hands or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

What must every procedure begin and end with?

Hand hygiene practices.

Disease.

Defined as a specific illness with a recognizable group of signs and symptoms and a clear cause.

Examples of disease categories.

Hereditary, drug induced, autoimmune, degenerative, communicable, and infectious.

Infectious diseases.

Caused by the growth of pathogenic microorganisms in the body.

Carrier.

A person who has come into contact with a pathogen and remains unaffected, yet may still transmit the infection to another person.

The five types of potentially pathogenic agents or microorganisms.

Viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and helminths.

How to destroy viral invaders.

By destroying the host cell; antibiotics are ineffective.

First stage of the chain of infection.

Infectious agent.

Second stage of the shade of infection.

Reservoir host.

Third stage of the chain of infection.

Portal of exit.

Fourth stage of the chain of infection.

Mode of transmission.

Fifth stage of the chain of infection.

Portal of entry.

Sixth stage of the chain of infection.

Suspectible host.

The most common approach to destroy bacterial invaders or inhibit their growth.

Using antibiotics.

Example of non-pathogenic bacteria that resides in our body.

A harmless form of E. coli lives in the large intestine.

How non-pathogenic bacteria protects against disease.

Competing for nutrients, taking up space, and excreting waste.

Common diseases caused by bacteria.

Tuberculosis, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, strep throat, food poisoning, and sexually transmitted infections.

Common viral diseases.

Common cold, COVID-19, influenza, A and B, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and AIDS.

Fungi.

May be unicellular or multicellular. Includes organisms such as mushrooms, mold, and yeast.

Types of fungi that can cause disease.

Candidiasis and tinea infections.

Alternate term for fungal infections.

Mycotic infections.

Antifungal agent used for tinea infections.

Topical preparations (e.g., clotrimazole [Lotrimin]).

Antifungal agent used for candidiasis.

Vaginal suppositories (e.g., miconazole [Monistat]).

Oral medications used as antifungal agents.

Fluconazole (Diflucan), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and terbinafine (Lamisil).

Protozoa.

Unicellular parasites that can replicate and multiply rapidly once inside the host.

Giardiasis.

A disease caused by protozoa, which is typically caused by the ingestion of water contaminated by feces.

Malaria.

A disease caused by protozoa, in which plasmodium organisms invade the blood system.

Helminths.

Multicellular and includes tapeworms, roundworms, and flat worms.

Tapeworms.

Live in the intestines of some animals and can be transferred to humans who eat undercooked meat from infected animals.

Flukes.

Flatworms with an external sucker; found in raw or improperly cooked fish.

Reservoir.

Most commonly people, insects, animals, water, food, and contaminated instruments and equipment. Provides all of the conditions needed for microbial growth, allowing the microbes to multiply.

Key to breaking the chain of infection at the reservoir link.

Sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization.

Portal of exit.

How the pathogen escapes the reservoir host (mouth, eyes, intestines, reproductive tract, nose, ears, urinary tract, or open wounds).

Key to breaking the chain of infection at the portal of exit link.

The use of standard precautions and taking measures to control the splatter of body fluids.

Mode of transmission.

Needed after exiting the reservoir host. May be either direct or indirect.

Direct transmission.

Occurs from contact with an infected person, with discharges from an infected person or with infected soil. Includes droplet transmission, which comes from sneezing, coughing, or even talking.

Indirect transmission.

Refers to the transfer of microorganisms by suspended particles in the air. Transmission occurs through inhalation of the microorganisms and through contact with vectors, fomites, or contaminated food and drinks.

Fomites.

Contaminated objects.

Portal of entry.

How the transmitted pathogen enters a new host (mouth, eyes, intestines, reproductive tract, nose, ears urinary tract, or open wounds).

Suspectible host.

The host is capable of supporting the growth of the infecting organism, causing the organism to multiply. The organism can reach infectious levels and the host can start the chain of infection all over again.

The body‘s first line of defense against pathogenic invasion.

The body’s physical and chemical barriers.

Anatomic defense mechanisms against pathogenic invasion.

Tears, cilia, mucous membranes, pH of body fluids, and defecation and vomiting.

The body’s second line of defense.

Nonspecific chemical and cellular responses.

The four classic symptoms of inflammation.

Redness, swelling, pain, and heat.

Third line of defense.

Specific immunity.

Humoral immunity.

The immune system responds by producing antibodies, specifically designed to combat the presence of a foreign substance. It is the responsibility of the body’s B cells.

Cell-mediated immunity.

Causes the destruction of pathogenic cells at the site of invasion or infection. Involves T cells.

Estimated rate in which individuals do not develop immunity after receiving a vaccine.

1% to 5% of the time.

Titer.

A laboratory test that measures the level of antibodies in a blood sample.

Acute infection.

Has a rapid onset of symptoms, but lasts a relatively short time.

Stages of acute infection.

Incubation, prodromal, acute, declining, convalescent.

Incubation.

The period of time between exposure to the pathogen and the appearance of the first symptoms.

Prodromal.

The short period of time when the first symptoms appear.

Acute.

The disease is at its peak, and symptoms are fully developed.

Declining.

The symptoms of the disease start to subside.

Convalescent.

In this stage, patients will regain their strength and return to a state of good health.

Chronic infection.

Persists for a long period of time, sometimes for life.

Asymptomatic.

Without symptoms.

Latent infection.

A persistent infection in which the symptoms cycle through periods of relapse and remission.

Cold sores and genital herpes.

Latent viral infections caused by the herpes symplex virus types 1 and 2, respectively.

Opportunistic infections.

Caused by organisms that are not typically pathogenic, but cause disease under certain circumstances.

Universal Precautions.

The underlying concept that because healthcare workers do not know whether a patient has an infectious organism, all blood and certain body fluids must be treated as if they contain infectious bloodborne pathogens, regardless of the information available about the patient’s health history.

Why Universal Precautions were inacted:

Introduced by the CDC in 1987 in response to concern about the increasing prevalence of HIV and HBV.

Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.

Developed by OSHA in 2001, which includes Universal Precautions.

OPIM meaning.

“Other potentially infectious materials”.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.

Passed in 2000 by congress.

Parenteral exposure.

Includes accidental needlesticks, occupation-related human bites, and exposure of nonintact skin to OPIM.

Most commonly used PPE.

Gloves.

Every medical assistant must adhere to these safety rules:

Read warning labels on biohazard waste containers and equipment; minimize splashing or spraying of OPIM; bandage any breaks or lesions on your hands before gloving; never recap contaminated needles and other sharps should never be recapped.