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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Antimicrobial | An agent that destroys, resists, or prevents the development of pathogens |
| Autoclave | An appliance used to sterilize medical instruments or other objects by using steam under pressure. |
| Bloodborne pathogen | Infectious microorganisms found in human blood and other body fluids that can cause disease. |
| Bloodborne pathogen standard | Federal law requires that health care facilities protect employees from bloodborne health hazards. |
| Body fluids | Tears, saliva, sputum, urine, feces, semen, vaginal secretions, pus or other wound drainage, and vomit |
| Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) | Bacteria that have developed resistance to carbapenems, which is category of antibiotics |
| Carrier | A person who carries a pathogen, usually without signs or symptoms of disease, but who can still spread the disease. |
| Catheter | Tube inserted through the skin or into a body opening that is used to administer or drain fluid |
| C Difficile or C. Diff | An abbreviation for clostridioides difficile ; a bacterium that is spread by spores in feces that are difficult to kill; it causes symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea and can lead to serious inflammation of the colon. |
| Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) | Federal government agency responsible for improving the overall health and safety of the people in the US. |
| Clean | In health care, a condition in which an object is not contaminated with pathogens |
| Communicable disease | An infectious disease transmissible by direct contact or by indirect contact |
| Contagious disease | - A type of communicable disease that spreads quickly from person to person |
| Contaminated | Soiled, unclean; having disease causing organisms or infectious material on it |
| Cross-infection | The physical movement or transfer of harmful bacteria from one person, object, or from one part of the body to another |
| Dehydration | An excessive loss of water from the body; a condition that occurs when fluid loss is greater than fluid intake |
| Direct contact | Way to transmit pathogens through touching the infected person or his secretions |
| Dirty | In health care, a condition in which an object has been contaminated with pathogens |
| Disinfection | Process that destroys most, but not all, pathogens and other types of microorganisms |
| Doff | To remove |
| don | to put on |
| Drainage | Flow of fluids from a wound or cavity |
| Exposure control plan | Plan that outlines specific work practices to prevent exposure to infectious material and identifies step-by-step procedures to follow when exposures do occur |
| Exposure incident | - Specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane,non intact skin, or parental contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee. |
| Fomite | An object that is contaminated with a pathogen and can spread the pathogen to another person |
| Hand hygiene | Washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers |
| Hand sanitizers | A preparation containing at least 60% alcohol that is designed for application to the hands for reducing the number of microorganisms on the hands |
| Healthcare associated infection (HAI) | - An infection acquired within a healthcare setting during the delivery of medical care for another condition |
| Hepatitis | Inflammation of the liver caused by certain viruses and other factors, such as alcohol abuse, some |
| Immunity | Resistance to infection by a specific pathogen |
| incubation period | The period of time between exposure to a pathogen and the time it causes visible signs and symptoms of disease or illness |
| Indirect contact - | Way to transmit pathogens invading the body and multiplying |
| Infection | The state resulting from pathogens invading the body and multiplying |
| Infection prevention | Set of methods used to prevent and control the spread of disease |
| Infectious disease - | Any disease caused by growth of a pathogen |
| Isolate | to keep something separate, or by itself |
| Jaundice | A condition in which a person's skin, whites of the eyes, and mucous membranes appear yellow |
| Localized infection | An infection that is limited to a specific location in the body and has local symptoms |
| Malnutrition | - A serious condition in which a person is not getting proper nutrition |
| Medical asepsis | measures used to reduce remove, and control the spread of pathogen |
| Microorganism (MO) | A living thing or organism that is so small that it is only visible under a microscope (also called microbe) |
| MRSA | An abbreviation for methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus; bacteria that have developed resistance to the antibiotic methicillin or other antibiotics |
| Mucous membranes | the membranes that line the body cavities that open to the outside of the body such as the inner linings of the mouth, nose, eyes, rectum, or genitals |
| Multidrug-resistant organism(MDRO’s) | Microorganisms, mostly bacteria, that are resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents that are commonly used for treatment |
| Noncommunicable disease | A disease not capable of being spread from one person to another |
| Nonintact skin | Skin that is broken by abrasions, cuts, rashes, acne, pimples, lesions, surgical incisions, or boils |
| Normal flora | Microorganisms that normally live in and on the body and do not cause harm in a healthy person, as long as the flora remain in that particular location |
| Occupational Safety And Health Administration(OSHA) | A federal government agency that makes and enforces rules to protect workers from hazards |
| Pathogens | Microorganisms that are capable of causing infection and disease |
| Perineal care - | Care of the genitals and anal area |
| Person protective equipment | Equipment that helps protect employees from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with workplace hazards |
| Reinfection | Being infected again with the same pathogen |
| Resistance - | The body’s ability to prevent infection and disease |
| Sanitation | Ways individuals and communities maintain clean, hygienic conditions that help prevent disease, such as the disposal of sewage and solid waste. |
| Standard Precautions | A method of infection prevention in which all blood, body fluids, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes are treated as if they were infected with an infectious disease. |
| Sterilizations | Cleaning measure that destroys all microorganisms, including those that form spores. |
| Surgical asepsis | The state of being completely free of microorganisms; also called sterile technique |
| Systemic infection | An infection that is in the bloodstream and is spread throughout the body causing general symptoms. |
| Transmission | he way and means by which disease is spread |
| Vaccine | A product that is administered to produce immunity to a specific disease |
| VRE | An abbreviation for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus; bacteria that have developed resistance to the antibiotic vancomycin. |