Class 1: Older Adults & Infection Control

Agesim

The stereotyping and discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age

Gerontology

The study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging.

Geriatrics

Old age

Older adult life changes

Integrity vs despair, retirement, social isolation, modified living environment

Health and healing changes with aging

Physiological, cognitive, psychosocial, spirituality

Mind

Focusing on maintains mental activity, managing dementia, treating delirium, and treating depression.

Mobility

Maintains ability to walk, maintain balance, and prevent falls.

Medications

Reducing poly-pharmacy and build awareness of harmful medications.

Multi-complexity

Managing a variety of concerns and assessing living conditions.

Matters most

Coordinating advanced care planning, managing goals, and make sure that the care plan matches the patients needs.

Spirituality

A dynamic and intrinsic aspect of humanity through which persons seek ultimate meaning, purpose, and transcendence and experience relationship to self, family, others, community, society, nature, and the significant or sacred.

Transcendence

An understanding of being part of a greater picture or of something greater than oneself, such as the awe one can experience when walking in nature.

Suffering

Occurs at physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels

Hope

A desire or goal for a particular event or outcome

Mystery

Knowing there is truth beyond understanding and explanation

Peacemaking

The creation of a space for nurturing and healing

Forgiveness

An internal process releasing intense emotions attached to past incidents

Prayer

An expression of one’s spirituality through a personalized interaction or organized form of petitioning and worship

Normal flora

Microorganisms that live on the skin, in the nasopharynx, and in the gastrointestinal tract, but don’t become an infection unless the host becomes susceptible

Microbiome

Acquired at birth and evolves over their lifetime. It is different across body sites and between individual

Pathogens

Microorganisms that cause disease

Bacteria

Microorganisms made of a single cell

Viruses

Up of a piece of genetic code, such as DNA or RNA, and are protected by a coating of protein.

Fungi

Contain a nucleus and other components protected by a membrane and a thick cell wall.

Protozoa

Single-celled organisms that can live and multiply in your body

Helminths

Multi-celled organisms that can live inside or outside your body and are commonly known as worms

Ectoparasites

Multi-celled organisms that live on or feed off skin, including ticks and mosquitos

Nonspecific innate immunity

A system of defences in the body that targets invading pathogens in a nonspecific manner.

Endothelia

The epithelial cells lining the urogenital tract, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and other tissues

Cytokines

Proteins that affect interaction and communication between cells

Cytokine storm

A severe immune reaction in which the body releases too many cytokines into the blood too quickly

Inflammation

A response triggered by a cascade of chemical mediators and occurs when pathogens successfully breach the nonspecific innate immune system or when an injury occurs

Specific adaptive immunity

The immune response that is activated when the nonspecific innate immune response is insufficient to control an infection

B cells

Cells that mature in the bone marrow and give rise to antibodies

Antibodies

Specific to each pathogen and lock onto its surface and make it for distraction by other immune cells.

T cells

Mature in thymus and categorized into helper, regulatory, and cytotoxic

Helper T cells

Stimulates B cells

Killer T cells

Kill cells that have already been infected by pathogen

Infection

The invasion and growth of a microorganism within the body

Disease

Causes signs and symptoms, resulting in a deviation from the normal structure or functioning of the host

Pathogenicity

The ability of a microorganism to cause disease

Virulence

The degree to which a microorganism is likely to become a disease

Primary pathogen

Cause disease in a host regardless of the host’s microbiome or immune system

Opportunistic pathogen

Cause disease only in situations that compromise the host’s defenses, such as the body’s protective barriers, immune system, or normal microbiome

Systemic infection

When an infection becomes disseminated throughout the body

Local infection

Confined to a small area of the body, typically near the portal of entry

Secondary infection

An infection that occurs during or after treatment for a different infection

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)

An exaggerated inflammatory response that affects the entire body

Sepsis

SIRS that is caused by an infection.

Incubation period

Occurs after the initial entry of the pathogen into the host when it begins to multiply, but there are insufficient numbers of the pathogen present to cause signs and symptoms of disease

Prodromal Period

Occurs after the incubation period and pathogens continue to multiply

Acute phase

The signs and symptoms of a specific disease become obvious and can become severe

Convalescent period

The client generally returns to normal daily functioning, although some diseases may inflict permanent damage that the body cannot fully repair

Acute infection

Develop rapidly and generally last only 10-14 days

Chronic infections

May persist for months

Healthcare-associated infections

An infection that is contracted in a health care facility or under medical care

Standard precautions

The minimum infection prevention practices that apply to all client care, regardless of suspected or confirmed infection status of the client, in any setting where health care is delivered.

Transmission-based precautions

Used for clients with documented or suspected infection of highly transmissible pathogens. Droplet, airborne, and contact.

Aseptic technique

Used to prevent the transfer of microorganisms from one person or object to another during a medical procedure

Sterile technique

Seeks to eliminate every potential microorganism in and around a sterile field while also maintaining objects as free from microorganisms as possible

Septic shock

Severe sepsis that leads to a life-threatening decrease in blood pressure (systolic pressure <90 mm Hg), preventing cells and other organs from receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. It can cause multi-organ failure and death.

Specific adaptive immunity

The immune response that is activated when the nonspecific innate immune response is insufficient to control an infection.