Untitled Flashcard Set

acute illness

Third stage of infection where manifestations of a specific infectious disease process are obvious and severe.

airborne infection isolation room (AIIR)

Single client rooms with special air handling and ventilation to provide a negative pressure.

airborne precautions

Precautions used when there is a risk of airborne transmission; requires N95 mask.

airborne transmission

Occurs when small particulates move into the airspace of another person.

chain of infection

The process through which infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses move from place to place.

closed-glove technique

Method of donning sterile gloves using surgical asepsis while keeping hands inside a sterile gown.

contact precautions

Precautions to prevent infection spread via direct or indirect contact with body secretions.

direct contact transmission

Occurs when microorganisms are passed directly from an infected person to another.

disinfection

Cleansing instruments to eradicate almost all microorganisms, but not all.

donned

The act of putting on an item.

droplet precautions

Require a mask when entering the room of a client or in close contact with them.

droplet transmission

Occurs when respiratory droplets travel through the air to infect a host.

enhanced barrier precautions

Precautions involving gown and gloves for staff to prevent organism transfer.

hand hygiene

Practices including washing hands with soap, alcohol gel, or surgical scrub.

health care–associated infections (HAIs)

Infections acquired in health care facilities.

incubation

The first stage of infection when there are no visible symptoms.

independent gowning

Surgical gowning done without assistance from another person.

indirect contact transmission

Occurs when microorganisms pass through contaminated objects.

infection control bundles

Guidelines designed to prevent health care-associated infections.

infectious agent

Any organism capable of causing disease, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

inflammatory response

The body's natural defense mechanism against injury and infection.

local infections

Infections that are confined to one area of the body.

medical asepsis

Practices that reduce disease-causing microorganisms on surfaces.

modes of transmission

Ways in which infectious agents are spread, including contact and droplet.

multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs)

Bacteria resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics.

nonspecific immunity

The body's general immune response involving cells like neutrophils and macrophages.

open-glove technique

Method of donning sterile gloves by touching them directly.

period of convalescence

The final stage of infection where the client returns to health.

period of decline

The fourth stage of infection characterized by a decrease in symptoms.

personal protective equipment (PPE)

Safety gear that protects health care workers from infection.

phagocytes

Cells that engulf and destroy microorganisms.

portal of entry

The route through which an infectious agent enters a host.

portal of exit

The route an infectious agent takes to leave its reservoir.

prodromal

The stage of infection where initial symptoms begin to appear.

protective isolation

Precautions taken to prevent infection in immunocompromised individuals.

reservoir

The habitat where an infectious agent lives and multiplies.

specific immunity

Immune response involving antibodies and lymphocytes.

standard precautions

Infection control practices applicable to all patients.

sterile fields

Areas created to minimize the presence of microorganisms during procedures.

sterile gowning

The process of wearing a sterile gown before surgery.

sterilization

The process that eliminates all microorganisms, including spores.

surgical asepsis

Techniques that ensure sterility for items that will contact a patient.

susceptible host

An individual who can become infected by an infectious agent.

systemic infections

Infections that spread through the bloodstream affecting the entire body.

vector-borne transmission

Transmission of pathogens through animals such as insects.

vehicle transmission

Spread of infections through a common source like contaminated food.

virulent

Describes how effectively an infectious agent can cause illness.