NCLEX Infection, Asepsis, and C. difficile Review Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering infection chain, asepsis concepts, standard/transmission precautions, and C. difficile management.

Chain of Infection

A six-link process consisting of infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.

Infectious Agent

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites capable of causing disease.

Reservoir

Where an organism lives or multiplies, such as people, animals, soil, food, or water.

Portal of Exit

How an organism leaves the reservoir, such as respiratory secretions, blood, feces, urine, or wound drainage.

Mode of Transmission

The path of microorganism transfer, including direct contact, indirect contact, droplet, airborne, vehicle, or vector.

Portal of Entry

The site where an organism enters a host, such as the nose, mouth, eyes, broken skin, or invasive devices.

Susceptible Host

A person whose defenses make infection more likely due to altered skin integrity, WBC changes, age, stress, or other risk factors.

Incubation Stage

The period from exposure until symptoms begin, during which organisms are actively multiplying.

Prodromal Stage

The phase of infection characterized by early nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, or mild fever.

Acute Stage (Illness)

The stage of infection where characteristic disease signs and symptoms are actively present.

Convalescence

The stage of infection during which symptoms decline and recovery occurs.

Handwashing Duration

A minimum of 20 seconds as required for proper handwashing technique.

Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Concentration

An alcohol-based cleaner with 60%-95% alcohol content used when hands are not visibly soiled.

Drug Resistance

The ability of a microorganism to survive or continue growing despite exposure to a drug that would normally inhibit or kill it.

Medical Asepsis

Clean technique aimed at reducing pathogen transfer using hand hygiene, washing, clean gloves, and cleaned equipment.

Surgical Asepsis

Sterile technique aimed at creating an area completely free of microorganisms using sterile gloves, sterile fields, and sterile instruments.

Sterilization

A process that destroys all microorganisms, including spores; required for equipment entering sterile body areas.

Disinfection

A process that destroys most pathogenic organisms but not necessarily spores; used for skin preparation and non-sterile equipment.

Standard Precautions

Precautions applied to all clients including hand hygiene, clean gloves, PPE, cough etiquette, and safe injection practices.

Clostridioides difficile (C. diff)

A spore-forming bacterium causing watery diarrhea and colitis, frequently triggered by antibiotic exposure disrupting normal flora.

Exogenous Infection

A healthcare-associated infection that originates from another person or a source outside the client.

Endogenous Infection

A healthcare-associated infection originating from an organism already harbored by the client.

Iatrogenic Infection

A healthcare-associated infection directly resulting from a diagnostic procedure or medical treatment.

C. diff Hand Hygiene Protocol

Soap-and-water handwashing, mandatory because alcohol-based hand rubs do not reliably kill spore-forming C. difficile.

Sporicidal Disinfectant

A specialized cleaning agent required for environmental decontamination of rooms and equipment exposed to C. difficile spores.