Unit 3: Infection Control & Bloodborne Pathogens

Vocabulary flashcards covering the chain of infection, infectious agents, methods of transmission, portals of entry and exit, susceptible hosts, asepsis techniques, and prevention strategies from Unit 3.

Pathogen

Any disease-causing microorganism.

Virus

An infectious agent that needs a living host to survive and uses the host's metabolic process to produce more viral particles.

Bacteria

Single-cell organisms that produce their own energy and reproduce on their own without requiring a host, many of which are beneficial for digestion, cancer fighting, and other functions.

Fungus (infection)

An organism that invades tissue to cause a disease that can be confined to the skin, spread into tissue, bones, and organs, or affect the whole body.

Parasite

An organism that lives in or on an organism of another species.

Reservoir Host

The individual, person, equipment, or water in whom infectious microorganisms reside.

Carriers

Humans or animals who can transmit disease but do not show signs or symptoms (s/s) of the disease.

Portal of Exit

The pathogen's route of escape from the reservoir, including excretions, secretions, droplets, breaks in skin, saliva, and blood.

Route of Transmission

The method by which a pathogen gets from the reservoir to a new host, such as contact, droplets, airborne, vectorborne, direct contact, or insects.

Portal of Entry

The route through which a pathogen enters its new host, such as the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, mucous membranes, or skin breaks.

Susceptible Host

The source, such as a human, that accepts and supports the pathogen's life and reproduction, including cancer patients, elderly patients, surgical patients, burn victims, or people with diabetes mellitus.

Medical Asepsis

Clean technique that involves the use of room or environmental sprays, wipes, and $10\text{-}1$ bleach equipment cleaning.

Surgical Asepsis

Sterile technique providing the highest level of protection, involving wound cleaning, autoclave sterilization, and CDC guidelines.

Chain of Infection

The six-stage cycle of disease spread consisting of the pathogen (infectious agent), reservoir host, portal of exit, route of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.

Breaking the Chain of Infection

The process of interrupting disease transmission by implementing controls at various links, including rapid identification, sanitation, proper PPE, hand hygiene, aseptic wound care, and treating primary disease.