Ch31 Asepsis Key Terms Nursing Fundamentals Bernardxb

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Acquired immunity

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see Passive immunity

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Active immunity

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a resistance of the body to infection in which the host produces its own antibodies in response to natural or artificial antigens

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Acute infection

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those that generally appear suddenly or last a short time

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Airborne precautions

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used for clients known to have or suspected of having serious illnesses transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei smaller than 5 microns

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Antibodies

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"immunoglobulins, part of the body's plasma proteins, defend primarily against the extracellular phases of bacterial and viral infections"

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Antigen

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a substance capable of inducing the formation of antibodies

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Antiseptic

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an agent that inhibits the growth of some microorganisms

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Asepsis

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freedom from infection or infectious material

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Autoantigen

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an antigen that originates in a person's own body

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Bacteremia

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bacteria in the blood

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Bacteria

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the most common infection-causing microorganisms

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Bloodborne pathogens

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potentially infectious organisms that are carried in and transmitted through blood or materials containing blood

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Carrier

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"a person or animal that harbors a specific infectious agent and serves as a potential source of infection, yet does not manifest any clinical signs of disease"

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Cell-mediated defenses

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see Cellular immunity

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Cellular immunity

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"also known as cell-mediated defenses, occur through the T-cell system"

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Circulating immunity

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see Humoral immunity

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Clean

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free of potentially infectious agents

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Colonization

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the presence of organisms in body secretions or excretions in which strains of bacteria become resident flora but do not cause illness

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Communicable disease

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a disease that can spread from one person to another

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Compromised host

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any person at increased risk for an infection

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Contact precautions

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"used for clients known or suspected to have serious illnesses easily transmitted by direct client contact or by contact with items in the client's environment (GI, respiratory, skin or wound infections, etc.)"

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Cultures

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laboratory cultivations of microorganisms in a special growth medium

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Dirty

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"denotes the likely presence of microorganisms, some of which may be capable of causing infection"

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Disease

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an alteration in body function resulting in a reduction of capacities or shortening of the normal life span

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Disinfectant

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agent that destroys microorganisms other than spores

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Droplet nuclei

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"residue of evaporated droplets emitted by an infected host, such as someone with tuberculosis, that can remain in the air for long periods of time"

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Droplet precautions

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"used for clients known or suspected to have serious illnesses transmitted by particle droplets larger than 5 microns (diphtheria, microplasma, pneumonia)"

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Endogenous

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developing from within

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Exogenous

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developing from outside sources

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Exudate

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purulent drainage

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Fungi

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infection-causing microorganisms that include yeasts and molds

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Granulation tissue

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young connective tissue with new capillaries formed in the wound healing process

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Humoral immunity

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antibody-mediated defense; resides ultimately in the B lymphocytes and is mediated by the antibodies produced by B cells

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Hyperemia

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increased blood flow to an area

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Iatrogenic infections

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infections that are the direct result of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures

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Immune defenses

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see Specific (immune) defenses

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Immunity

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"a specific resistance of the body to infection; it may be natural, or resistance may develop after exposure to a disease agent"

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Immunoglobulins

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see Antibodies

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Infection

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the disease process produced by microorganisms

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Inflammation

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local and nonspecific defensive tissue response to injury or destruction of cells

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Isolation

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practices that prevent the spread of infection and communicable disease

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Leukocytes

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white blood cells

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Leukocytosis

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an increase in the number of white blood cells

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Local infection

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an infection that is limited to the specific part of the body where the microorganisms remain

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Medical asepsis

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"all practices intended to confine a specific microorganism to a specific area, limiting the number, growth, and spread of microorganisms"

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Nonspecific defenses

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"bodily defenses that protect a person against all microorganisms, regardless of prior exposure"

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Nosocomial infections

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infections that originate in a hospital

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Occupational exposure

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"skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties"

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Opportunistic pathogen

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a microorganism causing disease only in a susceptible individual

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Parasites

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microorganisms that live in or on another from which it obtains nourishment

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Passive (Acquired) immunity

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a resistance of the body to infection in which the host receives natural or artificial antibodies produced by another source

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Pathogenicity

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the ability to produce disease; a pathogen is a microorganism that causes disease

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Personal protective equipment (PPE)

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"barriers such as gloves, mask, and gown used to protect persons from contact with potentially infective materials"

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Phagocytes

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"cells that ingest microorganisms, other cells, and foreign particles"

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Regeneration

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"renewal, regrowth, the replacement of destroyed tissue cells by cells that are identical or similar in structure and function"

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Reservoir

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a source of microorganisms

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Resident flora

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"microorganisms that normally reside on the skin and mucous membranes, and inside the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts"

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Sepsis

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the presence of pathogenic organisms or their toxins in the blood or body tissues

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Septicemia

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occurs when bacteremia results in systemic infection

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Specific defenses

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"immune functions directed against identifiable bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other infectious agents"

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Standard precautions (SP)

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"the risk of caregiver exposure to client body tissues and fluids rather than the suspected presence or absence of infectious organisms determines the use of clean gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection"

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Sterile field

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a microorganism-free area

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Sterile technique

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practices that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms

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Sterilization

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"a process that destroys all microorganisms, including spores and viruses"

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Surgical asepsis

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practices that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms; also called sterile technique

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Systemic infection

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occurs when pathogens spread and damage different parts of the body

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Universal precautions (UP)

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"techniques to be used with all clients to decrease the risk of transmitting unidentified pathogens; currently, standard precautions incorporate UP and BSI"

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Vector-borne transmission

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transport of an infectious agent from an animal or flying or crawling insect that serves as an intermediate means via biting or depositing feces or other materials on the skin

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Vehicle-borne transmission

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"transport of an infectious agent into a susceptible host via any intermediate substance (e.g., fomites or food)"

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Virulence

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ability to produce disease

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Viruses

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nucleic acid-based infectious agents