Asepsis & Infection Control

Question 1

aerobic

Answer 1

requiring oxygen to live and grow

Question 2

airborne transmission

Answer 2

spreading of microorganisms that are less than 5 mcm when an infected host coughs, sneezes, or talks

Question 3

anaerobic

Answer 3

capable of living without oxygen

Question 4

antibody

Answer 4

immunoglobin produced by the body in response to a specific antigen

Question 5

antigen

Answer 5

foreign material capable of inducing a specific immune response

Question 6

antimicrobial

Answer 6

antibacterial agent that kills bacteria or suppresses their growth

Question 7

asepsis

Answer 7

absence of disease-producing microorganisms; using methods to prevent infection

Question 8

bacteria

Answer 8

the most significant and most commonly observed infection-causing agents

Question 9

bundles

Answer 9

evidence-based best practices that have proven positive outcomes when implemented together to prevent infection

Question 10

colonization

Answer 10

presence of an organism residing in an individual’s body but with no clinical signs of infection

Question 11

direct contact

Answer 11

way for organisms to enter the body that involves proximity between the susceptible host and an infected person or a carrier

Question 12

disinfection

Answer 12

process used to destroy microorganisms but not spores

Question 13

droplet transmission

Answer 13

transmission of particles greater than 5 mcm

Question 14

endemic

Answer 14

something that occurs with predictability in one specific region or population

Question 15

endogenous

Answer 15

infection in which the causative organism comes from microbial life harbored within the person

Question 16

exogenous

Answer 16

infection in which the causative organism is acquired from outside the host

Question 17

fomite

Answer 17

objects or materials that are likely to carry infection

Question 18

fungi

Answer 18

plant-like organisms that can cause infection

Question 19

health care–associated infection (HAI)

Answer 19

an infection that was not present on admission but develops during stay at health care institution

Question 20

host

Answer 20

animal or person on or within which microorganisms live

Question 21

iatrogenic

Answer 21

infection that occurs as a result of a treatment or diagnostic procedure

Question 22

indirect contact

Answer 22

personal contact with either a vector or an inanimate object that transmits an infectious agent to a human

Question 23

infection

Answer 23

disease state resulting from pathogens in or on the body

Question 24

isolation

Answer 24

protective procedure designed to prevent the transmission of specific microorganisms

Question 25

medical asepsis

Answer 25

practices designed to reduce the number and transfer of pathogens

Question 26

nosocomial

Answer 26

something originating or taking place in the hospital

Question 27

parasites

Answer 27

organism that lives on or in a host and relies on it for nourishment

Question 28

pathogens

Answer 28

disease-producing microorganism

Question 29

personal protective equipment (PPE)

Answer 29

gloves, gowns, masks, and protective eye gear designed to minimize or prevent the health care worker’s exposure to infectious material

Question 30

reservoir

Answer 30

natural habitat for the growth and multiplication of microorganisms

Question 31

standard precautions

Answer 31

CDC precautions used in the care of all patients regardless of their diagnosis or possible infection status

Question 32

sterilization

Answer 32

the process by which all microorganisms, including spores, are destroyed

Question 33

surgical asepsis

Answer 33

practices that render and keep objects and areas free from microorganisms

Question 34

transmission-based precautions

Answer 34

CDC precautions used in patients known or suspected to be infected with pathogens that can be transmitted by airborne, droplet, or contact routes

Question 35

vector

Answer 35

nonhuman carriers that transmit organisms from one host to another

Question 36

virulence

Answer 36

ability to produce disease

Question 37

virus

Answer 37

smallest of all microorganisms