Infection

Incubation period

The pathogen enters the body and grows and multiplies. No symptoms are present yet

Prodromal stage

Vague and nonspecific signs of disease appear. The person is the most infectious.

Full stage of illness

Presence of specific signs and symptoms of disease (now we can see the disease)

Convalescent period

Recovery from the infection

Protein

Builds and repairs tissue (most essential)

Calories

Keep proteins from being burned for energy

Vitamin C

Collagen formation

Vitamin A

Epithelial growth and immune function

Zinc

Cell growth and tissue repair

Hydration

Supports perfusion and skin integrity

Infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, means of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host

Components of the Infection Cycle

Recognition

The immune system detects a foreign antigen

Proliferation

Specific B cells and T cells multiply to create many copies of themselves.

Response

Lymphocytes begin functioning in either a humoral or cellular capacity

Effector

Antibodies bind to antigens on foreign invaders, or cytotoxic T cells kill infected body cells

Bacteria

Most significant and most prevalent in hospital settings

Virus

Smallest of all microorganisms

Fungi

Plant-like organisms present in air, soil, and water

Parasites

Live on or in a host and rely on it for nourishment

Cocci

spherical

Bacilli

rod-shaped

Spirilla

spiral

Vibrios

comma-shaped

Aerobic

Needs oxygen to live

Anaerobic

Can live without oxygen

Culture and Sensitivity (C&S)

Identifies the microorganism causing an infection and determines which medication will work best to treat it

Culture

Identifies the organism

Sensitivity: What will kill it

Susceptible: Organism is likely to respond to antibiotic

Intermediate: May work in particular circumstances

Resistance: Not expected to respond to that specific antibiotic

WBC: Total number of white blood cells

CBC with differential: Total WBCs plus the breakdown of WBC types

ESR: A nonspecific indicator of inflammation; High= evidence of inflammation