Chapter 17 Infection Control

asepsis

freedom from infection

bacteria

prokaryotic (no nucleus), ubiquitous (everywhere), single-celled organisms

blood-borne pathogens

disease causing microorganisms that may be present in human blood (i.e. HIV -> AIDS, HEP B, HEP C)

chemotherapy

treatment of disease by chemical agents

cyst

stage in the life cycle of certain parasites during which they are enclosed in a protective wall

dimorphic

occurring in two distinct forms

diseases

deviations from or interruptions of the normal structure or function of any part, organ, or system (or combination thereof) of the body that are exhibited by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose cause, pathologic mechanism, and prognosis may be known or unknown

disinfectants

chemicals used to free an environment from pathogenic organisms or to render such organisms inert, especially as applied to the treatment of inanimate materials to reduce or eliminate infectious organisms

eukaryotes

organisms whose cells have a true nucleus

flora

microbial community found on or in a healthy person

fomite

an object such as a book, wooden object, or article of clothing that is not in itself harmful but is able ot harbor pathogenic microorganisms and thus may serve as an agent of transmission of an infection

fungi

general term used to denote a group of eukaryotic protists - including mushrooms, yeasts, rusts, molds, and smuts - that are chracterized by the absence of chlorophyll and by the presence of a rigid cell wall

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI)

infection that patients acquire while they are receiving treatment for another healthcare issue

host

an animal or plant that harbots or noursihes another organism

iatrogenic

resulting from the activities of physicians

immunity

security against a particular disease

infection

invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues that may be clinically inapparent or may result in local cellular injury as a result of competitive metabolism, toxins, intracellular replication, or antigen-antibody response

medical asepsis

reduction in numbers of infectious agents, which in turn, decrease the probability of infeciton but does not necessarily reduce it to zero

microorganisms

microscopic organisms - those of medical interest including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa

nosocomial

pertaining to or originating in the hospital; said of an infection not present or incubating before admittance to the hospital but generally developing 72 hours after admittance

pathogens

disease-producing microorganisms

prokaryotes

cellular organisms that lack a true nucleus

protozoa

a subkingdom compromising the simplest organisms of the animal kingdom, consisting of unicellular organisms ranging in size from submicroscopic to macroscopic; most being free-living but some having commensalistic, mutualistic, or parasitic existences

reservoir

alternate or passive host or carrier that harbors pathogenic organisms, without injury to itself, and serves as a source from which other individuals can be infected

standard precautions

precautions to prevent the transmission of disease by body fluids and substances

sterilization

complete destrucion or elimination of all living microorganisms accomplished by physical methods (dry or moist heat), chemical agents (ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, alcohol), radiation (ultraviolet, cathode), or mechanical methods (filtration)

surgical asepsis

procedure used to prevent contamination by microbes and endospores before, during, or after surgery using sterile technique

vaccine

suspension of attenuated or killed microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, or rickettsiae) administered for the prevention, improvement, or treatment of infectious disease

vector

a carrier, especially an animal (usually an arthropod), that transfers an infective agent from one host to another

virion

complete viral particle found extracellularly and capable of surviving in crystalline form and infecting a living cell; comprises the nucleoid (genetic material) and the capsid also called a viral particle

viruses

any of a group of minute infectious agents not resolved in the light microscope, with certain exceptions and characterized by a lack of independent metabolism as well as the ability to replicate only within living host cells