Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

A comprehensive vocabulary review of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) concepts, covering chains of transmission, hand hygiene procedures, standard precautions, and personal protective equipment requirements.

Infection

A process in which germs enter the body and multiply.

Infection Prevention

Activities aimed at reducing the risks of germs entering the body.

Infection Control

Activities aimed at reducing the disease burden to a locally acceptable level.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

The set of Policies, Procedures, and Measures that are established and implemented to reduce the risk of infection among all people.

Agents of Communicable Disease

Pathogens capable of causing communicable illness, specifically classified into bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoans.

Chain of Infection (Transmission Links)

The five vital links required for pathogen transmission: Agent, Source, Mode of transmission, Portal of entry into the host, and Susceptible host.

Primary Source of Infection

The origin of an infectious agent, comprising patients in healthcare settings, or animals, plants, etc., in non-healthcare settings.

Airborne Transmission

The transmission of pathogens via tiny aerosols (droplet nuclei) spread over long distances.

Droplet Transmission

A mode of infection transmission involving large aerosols.

Portals of Entry

The anatomical pathways through which an infectious agent enters the human body to cause disease, including the respiratory tract, gastro-intestinal tract, mucosa (conjunctiva, nose, mouth), genito-urinary tract, and mosquito bites.

Source Control

An infection control strategy aimed at containing pathogens at the reservoir through cough etiquette, cleaning, disinfection, and eliminating hazardous materials.

Standard Precautions

Infection prevention practices implemented whenever contact is anticipated with blood, body fluids, excretions, secretions (even without visible blood), non-intact skin, or mucous membranes.

Handrubbing

An antiseptic procedure performed with alcohol for $20\text{--}30\text{ seconds}$ that kills or inhibits the growth of most transient and resident microorganisms, but does not remove soil or microorganisms; used when hands are not visibly soiled and handwashing is not possible.

Handwashing

The single most important policy for decreasing cross-infection; requires soap, running water, and friction for $40\text{--}60\text{ seconds}$ to remove soil, organic material, and transient microorganisms from the skin.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Protective barriers—such as gloves, gowns, masks, goggles, face shields, aprons, and boots—donned before entering a patient's room and removed outside to protect against contamination.

Contact Precautions

Specific disease precautions that require healthcare providers to use gloves plus a gown.

Droplet Precaution

A specific transmission-based precaution that requires the use of a medical mask.

Airborne Precaution

A specific transmission-based precaution that requires the use of a particulate respirator.