Infection Control and Safe Work Practices

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering infection control procedures, regulatory agencies, modes of transmission, and various pathogens as described in the beauty and wellness industry guidelines.

Infection control

Methods used to eliminate or reduce the transmission of infectious organisms from one individual to another.

Cleaning

A mechanical process using soap and water or detergent and water to remove all visible dirt, debris, and many disease-causing germs.

Sanitizing

A chemical process for reducing the number of disease-causing germs on cleaned surfaces to a safe level.

Disinfecting

A chemical process for use with nonporous items that uses specific products to destroy harmful organisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi (except bacterial spores).

Sterilizing

The process that destroys all microbial life, including spores, generally with the use of an autoclave.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

An agency created as part of the U.S. Department of Labor to regulate and enforce safety and health standards to protect employees in the workplace.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A 16-category, standard-format document that replaces the MSDS and communicates potential hazards associated with chemical products.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A federal agency that registers all types of disinfectants sold and used in the United States.

Laws

Also called statutes; written by federal and state legislatures to determine the scope of practice and establish guidelines for regulatory agencies.

Rules and regulations

Written by regulatory agencies or state boards, these determine how the law must be applied and establish specific standards of conduct.

Disease

Any abnormal condition of all or part of the body, its systems, or its organs that makes the body incapable of carrying on normal functions.

Infection

The invasion of body tissues by disease-causing pathogens.

Transmission

The process by which pathogens move between individuals and objects.

Direct Transmission

Transmission of pathogens through touching, kissing, coughing, sneezing, and talking.

Indirect Transmission

Transmission of pathogens through contact with an intermediate contaminated object such as a razor, extractor, nipper, or doorknob.

Respiratory Droplet

Large particles that carry pathogens expelled through coughing, sneezing, or talking, which do not stay suspended in the air for long.

Airborne Transmission

Transmission via tiny particles called aerosols that are smaller and dryer than droplets, allowing pathogens to hang in the air longer and spread further.

Infectious disease

A disease caused by pathogenic (harmful) organisms that enter the body.

Bacterial spores

Bacteria capable of producing a protective coating that allows them to withstand very harsh environments.

Bactericidal

Capable of destroying bacteria.

Virucidal

Capable of destroying viruses.

Fungicidal

Capable of destroying molds and fungi.

Contagious disease

Also known as communicable disease; a disease capable of being spread from one person to another.

Contamination

The presence, or reasonably anticipated presence, of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item's surface or visible debris/residues.

Decontamination

The removal of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item's surface and the removal of visible debris or residues.

Diagnosis

Determination of the nature of a disease from its symptoms and/or diagnostic tests; federal regulations prohibit salon professionals from performing this.

Occupational Disease

Illnesses resulting from conditions associated with employment, such as prolonged overexposure to certain products.

Bacteria

Single-celled microorganisms that have both plant and animal characteristics; some are harmful (pathogenic) and some are harmless (nonpathogenic).

Microorganism

Any organism of microscopic or submicroscopic size.

Pathogenic

Harmful microorganisms that can cause disease or infection in humans when they invade the body.

Inflammation

A condition in which the tissue of the body reacts to injury, irritation, or infection; characterized by redness, heat, pain, and/or swelling.

Pus

A fluid containing white blood cells, bacteria, and dead cells, which is the by-product of the infectious process.

Local infection

An infection confined to a particular part of the body, such as a pimple or abscess.

Systemic infection

An infection where the pathogen has spread throughout the body rather than staying in one area or organ.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

A type of infectious staph bacteria that is highly resistant to conventional treatments such as antibiotics.

Mycobacterium

A large family of bacteria often found in soil and water, linked to disfiguring infections associated with pedicure bowls.

Virus

A submicroscopic particle that infects and resides in the cells of a biological organism, capable of replication only through taking over the host cell's reproductive function.

Bloodborne pathogens

Disease-causing microorganisms carried in the body by blood or body fluids, such as hepatitis and HIV.

Hepatitis

A bloodborne virus that causes disease and can damage the liver; it can live on a surface outside the body for long periods.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

The virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Fungi

Single-celled organisms that grow in irregular masses, including molds, mildews, and yeasts.

Tinea barbae

Also known as barber’s itch; a fungal infection of the face or the nape of the neck.

Parasites

Organisms that grow, feed, and shelter on or inside another organism (the host) while contributing nothing to the survival of that organism.

Pediculosis capitis

A condition caused by an infestation of head lice.

Scabies

A contagious skin disease caused by the itch mite, which burrows under the skin.

Biofilms

Colonies of microorganisms that adhere to environmental surfaces and the human body, secreting a sticky, protective coating.

Antiseptics

Chemical germicides formulated for use on skin and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Efficacy

The ability to produce the intended effect; in disinfection, it means the effectiveness with which a solution kills organisms.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (quats)

Disinfectants that are very effective when used properly on nonporous surfaces, usually disinfecting in $10$ minutes.

Tuberculocidal disinfectants

Proven to kill the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, in addition to other pathogens destroyed by hospital disinfectants.

Phenolic disinfectants

Powerful tuberculocidal disinfectants that are a form of formaldehyde, have a very high pH, and are known carcinogens.

Sodium hypochlorite

Commonly known as household bleach ($5.25$ percent), it is an effective disinfectant but corrosive to metals and plastics.

Chelating soaps

Soaps specially formulated to break down stubborn films and remove residue of products in areas with hard tap water.

Standard Precautions (SP)

Guidelines published by the CDC requiring employer and employee to assume that all human blood and body fluids are potentially infectious.

Asymptomatic

Showing no symptoms or signs of infection.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Specialized clothing or equipment, such as gloves and safety glasses, worn by an employee for protection against hazards.

Exposure incident

Contact with non-intact (broken) skin, blood, body fluid, or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of a worker's duties.