Infection Control and Chain of Infection Vocabulary

Flashcards defining core vocabulary terms related to medical devices, transmission routes, susceptible hosts, and the chain of infection based on the lecture transcript.

Foley catheter

A medical device placed inside a patient to drain their bladder for as long as the medical order remains in place.

CAUTI

A urinary tract infection that occurs as a result of a patient being catheterized or acquired within a hospital setting.

Susceptible host

A vulnerable person, such as an elderly individual, a baby, or an immunocompromised patient, whose body germs can enter, invade, and multiply within.

Neuropathy

A condition frequently affecting diabetic feet that causes loss of feeling, leaving patients unaware of sharp cuts or open wounds.

Natural flora

Good microorganisms living in the body, such as in the gut, that fight off harmful pathogens but can be eliminated by prolonged antibiotic use.

Transmission

The movement or spreading of germs from one location or source to a susceptible host.

Contact transmission

The transfer of germs occurring through direct or indirect physical touching of a person or an object.

Droplet transmission distance

The approximate distance of $6\,\text{feet}$ across which infectious coughs, sneezes, and sprays travel to reach a susceptible person.

Inhalation transmission

The spread of germs via tiny aerosolized particles that survive and travel through air currents over great distances of time.

Chain of infection

A series of sequential events or links that must occur to allow a germ to cause an infection within a host.

MRSA

A microorganism resistant to drugs that requires specific antibiotic treatment and strict protective measures.

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment, including gowns, gloves, masks, and goggles, used to protect healthcare workers and patients from infection.

Infectious agent

A disease-causing pathogen or microbe, such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus, that initiates an infection.

Reservoir

The environment, object, animal, or person where germs live, gather, and multiply.

Portal of entry

The site or route through which a germ moves from a reservoir and enters a susceptible host, such as through open wounds, ingestion, or inhalation.