NA CH. 10 KEY TERMS | DEFINITIONS |
asepsis | being free of disease-producing microbes |
autoclave | a pressure steam sterilizer |
biohazardous waste | items contaminated with blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions and that may be harmful to others; bio means life, and hazardous means dangerous or harmful |
carrier | a human or animal that is a reservoir for microbes but does not have signs and symptoms of infection |
clean technique | medical asepsis |
communicable disease | a disease caused by pathogens that spread easily; a contagious disease |
contagious disease | communicable disease |
contamination | the process of becoming unclean |
disinfection | the process of destroying pathogens |
immunity | protection against a certain disease |
infection | a disease state resulting from the invasion and growth of microrganisms in the body |
medical asepsis | the practices used to remove or destroy pathogens and to prevent their spread from one person or place to another person or place; clean technique |
microbe | a microorganism |
microorganism | a small (micro) living plant or animal (organism) seen only with a microscope; a microbe |
nonpathogen | a microbe that usually does not cause an infection |
normal flora | microbes that usually live and grow in a certain location |
nosocomial infection | an infection acquired during a stay in a health care agency |
pathogen | a microbe that is harmful and can cause an infection |
personal protective equipment | special clothing or equipment worn to protect against a hazard |
reservoir | the environment in which a microbe lives and grows |
spore | a bacterium protected by a hard shell that forms around the microbe |
sterile | the absence of all microbes |
sterile field | a work area free of all pathogens and nonpathogens (including spores) |
sterile technique | surgical asepsis |
sterilization | the process of destroying all microbes |
surgical asepsis | the practices that keep equipment and supplies free of all microbes; sterile technique |
vaccination | the administration of a vaccine to produce immunity |
vaccine | a preparation that contains dead or weakened microbes and is given to produce immunity against an infectious disease |