Lecture 3. The Laboratory Role in Infection Control

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) are:

Infections that originate in health care facilities

It is imperative that an effective infection control program be established in health care settings to recognize and prevent HAIs

True

Iatrogenic infections are caused by:

Medical procedures

Cluster

An aggregate of cases in a given area over a particular period regardless of the number of cases

Outbreak

• Occurs when the incidence of disease is limited in a particular setting

• May be localized or widespread

Epidemic

• Outbreak of a disease that occurs in a specific community, region, or population; results in a higher-than-expected number of cases within a particular timeframe

• Most cases have a common cause or “patient zero”

Pandemic

An epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents and usually affects many people

Antibiograms

Patterns of sensitivity and resistance to antimicrobial agents in bacteria