Question | Answer |
aerobe | a microorganism that needs oxygen to live and grow |
anaerobe | a microorganism that grows best in the absense of oxygen |
antiseptic | an agent that inhibits the growth of or kills microorganisms |
asepsis | free from infection or pathogens; the actions practiced to make and maintain an area or object free from infection or pathogens. |
cilia | slender, hairlike projections that constantly beat toward the outside to remove MOs 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 physcal or chemical means to remove 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 santitizing the hands |
infection | the condition in which the body, or a part of it, is invaded by a pathogen |
medical asepsis | practices that are employed to the reduce the number and hinder the transmission of pathogens |
Microorganism (MO) | a microscopic plant or animal |
nonintact skin | skin that has a break in the surface. It includes, but is not limited to, abrasions, cuts, paper cuts, hangnails, and burns |
nonpathogen | a MO that does not normally produce disease |
Opportunistic infection | an infection that results from a defctive immune system that cannot defend that 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 needlesticks, human bites, cuts, and abrasions |
pathogen | a disease-producing MO |
perinatal | relating to the period shortly beore and after birth |
postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) | treatment administered to an indvidual after exposure to an infectious disease to prevent the disease |
regulated medical waste (RMW) | medical waste that poses a threat to health and safety |
reservoir host | the organism that becomes infected by a pathogen and serves as a source of transfer of the pathogen to others |
resident flora | harmless, nonpathogenic MOs that normally reside on the skin and usually do not cause disease; also known as normal flora |
susceptible | easily affected; lacking resistance |
transient flora | MOs that reside on the superficial skin layers and are picked up in the course of daily activities. They are often psthogenic but can be removed easily from the skin by santitizing the hands |