Infection Control vocab

acquired immune deficiency syndrome

abbreviated AIDS; a disease that breaks down the body’ immune system; AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

antiseptics

chemical germicides formulalted for the use on skin; registered and regulate by the Food and Drug Administration

asymptomatic

showing no symptoms or signs of infection

bacteria

single- celled microorganisms that have both plant and animal characteristics; some bacteria are harmful, some are harmless

bactericidal

capable of destroying bacteria

bloodborne pathogens

disease-causing microorganisms carried in the body by blood or body fluids, such as hepatitis and HIV

cleaning

a mechanical process using soap and water or detergent and water to remove all visible dirt, debris, and many disease causing germs; cleaning also removes invisible debris that interferes with disinfection; cleaning is what beauty professionals are required to do before disinfecting

communicable

able to be communicated; transferable by contact from one person to another as in a communicable disease

contamination

the presence, or the reasonably anticipated presence, or blood or other potentially infectious materials on an items surface, or visible debris or residues such as dust, hair and skin.

diagnosis

determination of the nature of a disease from its symptoms and or diagnostic tests; federal regulations prohibit salon professionals from performing a diagnosis

direct transmission

transmission of pathogens through touching (including shaking hands) kissing, coughing, sneezing, and talking

disease

an abnormal condition of all or part of the body, or its systems or organs, that makes the body incapable of carrying on normal function

disinfectants

chemical products approved by the EPA, designed to destroy most bacteria (excluding spores), fungi, and viruses on surfaces

disinfection

a chemical process that uses specific products to destroy harmful organisms (except bacterial spores) on environmental surfaces

efficacy

the ability of a product to produce the intended effect; on a disinfectant label, it indicates specific pathogens destroyed or disabled when used properly

exposure incident

contact with non-intact (broken) skin, blood, body fluid, or other potentially infectious materials, which is the result of the performance of an employee’s duties

fungi

single-celled organisms that grow in irregular masses and include molds, mildews, and yeasts; they can produce contagious disease such as ringworm

fungicidal

capable of destroying molds and fungi

hepatitis

a Bloodborne virus that causes disease and can damage the liver

herpes simplex virus

an inflammatory disease of the skin caused by a viral infection and characterized by small vesicles in clusters

human immunodeficiency virus

abbreviated HIV; virus that causes HIV disease and acquired immune deficiency syndrome

indirect transmission

transmission of blood or body fluids through contact with an intermediate contaminated object such as a razor, extractor, nipper, or an environmental surface

infection

the invasion of body tissues by disease- causing pathogen

infection control

the methods used to eliminate or reduce the transmission of infectious organisms from one individual to another

inflammation

a condition in which the body reacts to injury, irritation, or infection, characterized by redness, heat, pain, and swelling

local infection

an infection, such as a pimple or absess, that is confined to a particular part of the body and appears as a lesion

multiuse

also known as reusable; items that an be cleaned, disinfected, and used on more than one person, even if the item is accidentally exposed to blood or body fluid

nonpathogenic

harmless microorganisms that may perform useful functions an are safe to come in contact with since they do it cause disease or harm

nonporous

an item that is made of a materal that has no pores or openings and cannot absorb liquids

occupational disease

illness resulting from conditions associated with employment, such as prolonged and repeated overexposure to certain products or ingredients

parasites

organisms that grow, feed, ad shelter on or inside another organism(referred to as the host) while contributing nothing to the survival of that organism. parasites must have a host to survive

parasitic disease

disease caused by parasites, such as lice and mites

pathogenic

harmful microorganisms that can cause disease or infection on humans when they invade the body

pediculosis capitis

infestation of the hair and scalp with head lice

porous

made or constructed of a material that has pores or openings; porous items are absorbent

pus

a fluid created by infection

ringworm

a fungal infection of the skin that appears in circular lesions

sanitation

also know as sanitizing; a chemical process for reducing the number of disease causing germs on cleaned surfaces to a safe level

scabies

a contagious skin disease that is caused by the itch mite, which burrows under the skin

sodium hypochlorite

common household bleach; an effective disinfectant for the salon, spa, and barbershop

standard precautions

are guidelines published by the CDC that require the employer and employee to assume that any human blood and body fluids are potentially infectious

sterilzation

the process that completely destroys all microbial life, including, spores

systemic infection

An infection where the pathogen has distributed throughout the body rather than staying in one area or organ

tinea barbea

also known as barber’s with, a superficial fungal infection that commonly affects the skin; it is primarily limited to the bearded areas of the face and neck or around the scalp

tinea capitis

a fungal infection of the scalp characterized by the red papules, or spots, at the opening of the hair follicles

tuberculosis

a disease caused by bacteria that are transmitted through coughing or sneezing

virucidal

capable of destroying viruses

virus

a parasitic submicroscopic particle that infects and resides in cells of biological organisms. A virus is capable of replication only through taking over the host cell’s reproductive function.