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Ch 19: Key Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| acquired immunity | Immunity that is developed during a person's lifetime. |
| acute infection | Infection of short duration that is often severe |
| anaphylaxis | Extreme hypersensitivity to a substance that can lead to shock and life-threatening respiratory collapse |
| artificially acquired immunity | Immunity that results from a vaccination. |
| blood-borne disease | Disease that is caused by microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria that are carried in blood. |
| blood-borne pathogens | Disease-causing organisms transferred through contact with blood or other body fluids. |
| chain of infection | Conditions that must all be present for infection to occur. |
| chronic infection | An infection of long duration |
| communicable disease | Condition caused by an infection that can be spread from person to person or through contact with body fluids. |
| contaminated waste | Items such as gloves and patient napkins that may contain potentially infectious body fluids of patients. |
| âdirect contact | Touching or contact with a patient's blood or saliva |
| droplet infection | An infection that occurs through mucosal surfaces of the eyes, nose, or mouth. |
| epidemiologic | Studies of the patterns and causes of diseases. |
| hazardous waste | Waste that poses a danger to humans or to the environment. |
| immunity | Ability of the body to resist disease |
| indirect contact | Touching or contact with a contaminated surface or instrument. |
| infection control | Policies and practices designed to prevent the spread of infectious agents. |
| infection prevention | Ultimate goal of all infection control procedures and policies. |
| infectious disease | Disease that is communicable. |
| infectious waste | Waste that is capable of transmitting an infectious disease. |
| inherited immunity | Immunity that is present at birth. |
| latent infection | Persistent infection with recurrent symptoms that "come and go". |
| naturally acquired immunity | Immunity that occurs when a person has contracted and is recovering from a disease. |
| occupational exposure | Any reasonably anticipated skin, eye, or mucous membrane contact or percutaneous injury involving blood or any other potentially infectious materials. |
| OSHA Blood-Borne Pathogens (BBP) Standard | Guidelines designed to protect employees against occupational exposure to blood-borne disease-causing organisms. |
| percutaneous | Through the skin, such as a needle stick, cut, or human bite. |
| permucosal | Contact with mucous membranes, such as the eyes or mouth. |
| personal protective equipment (PPE) | Items such as protective clothing, masks, gloves, and eyewear used to protect employees. |
| sharps | Pointed or cutting instruments, including needles, scalpel blades, orthodontic wires, and endodontic instruments. |
| Standard Precautions | Standard of care designed to protect healthcare providers from pathogens that can be spread by blood or any other body fluid via excretion or secretion; expands the concept of Universal Precautions. |
| Universal Precautions | Guidelines based on treating all human blood and body fluids (including saliva) as potentially infectious. |
| virulence | Strength of a pathogen's ability to cause disease; also known as pathogenicity. |