Term | Definition |
Aerobe | A microorganism that needs oxygen to live & grow. |
Anaerobe | A microorganism that grows best in the absence of oxygen. |
Asepsis | Free from infection or pathogens; the actions practiced to make & maintain an area or object free from infection or pathogens. |
Cilia | Slender, hairlike projections that constantly beat toward the outside to remove microorganisms from the body. |
Contaminate | To soil or to make impure. An aseptic object becomes "this" when it touches something that is not clean. |
Decontamination | The use of physical or chemical means to remove,inactivate, or destroy pathogens on a surface or item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles; the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use or disposal. |
Hand hygiene | The process of cleansing or sanitizing the hands. |
Infection | The condition in which the body, or part of it, is invaded by a pathogen. |
Medical asepsis | Practices that are employed to reduce the number & hinder the transmission of pathogens. |
Microorganism | A microscopic plant or animal. |
Nonintact skin | Skin that has a break in the surface. It includes, but is not limited to, abrasions, cuts, hangnails, paper cuts, & burns. |
Nonpathogen | A microorganism that does not normally produce disease. |
Opportunistic infection | An infection that results from a defective immune system that cannot defend the body from pathogens normally found in the environment. |
Optimum growth temperature | The temperature at which an organism grows best |
Parenteral | Taken into the body through the piercing of the skin barrier or mucous membranes, such as through needle sticks ,human bites, cuts & abrasions. |
Pathogen | A disease-producing microorganism. |
Perinatal | Relating to the period shortly before & after birth. |
pH | The degree to which a solution is acidic or basic. |
Postexposure Prophylaxis | Treatment administered to an individual after exposure to an infectious disease to prevent the disease. |
Regulated medical waste | Medical waste that poses a threat to health & safety. |
Reservoir host | The organism that becomes infected by a pathogen & serves as a source of transfer of the pathogen to others. |
Resident flora | Harmless, nonpathogenic microorganisms that normally reside on the skin & usually do not cause disease; also known as normal flora. |
Susceptible | Easily affected; lacking resistance. |
Transiet flora | Microorganisms that reside on the superficial skin layers & are picked up in the course of daily activities. They are often pathogenic but can be removed easily from the skin by sanitizing the hands. |
Antiseptic | An agent that inhibits the growth of or kills microorganisms |