Module 2 Flashcards
(120 cards)
1
Q
The study of the distribution and determinants of disease and other conditions in human populations.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Epidemiology
2
Q
The number of new cases of a given disease in a given time period.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Incidence
3
Q
The number of existent cases of a given disease at a given time.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Prevalence
4
Q
An excess over the expected incidence of disease within a given geographical area during a specified time period.
A
Epidemic
5
Q
An epidemic spread over a wide geographical area, across countries or continents.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Pandemic
6
Q
Synonymous with epidemic but often preferred when dealing with the public; in local settings, a group of people with the same disease who are epidemiologically linked.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Outbreak
7
Q
A group of persons with a given disease occurring in the same space and time but not epidemiologically linked. If an epidemiological link is made, may become an outbreak.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Cluster
8
Q
In biology, a biting insect, tick, or other organism responsible for transmitting a disease, pathogen, or parasite between persons, animals, or plants.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Vector
9
Q
A place in which an infectious agent can survive but may or may not multiply, for example, Pseudomonas in nebulizers and hepatitis B on the surface of a
hemodialysis machine.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Reservoir
10
Q
A disease transmitted from animals to humans (e.g., cat scratch fever, psittacosis).
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Zoonosis
11
Q
An inanimate object on which organisms may exist for some period of time, for example, a contaminated piece of medical equipment.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Fomite
12
Q
The resistance of a group to invasion and spread of an infectious agent, based on the immunity of a high proportion of individual members of the group.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Herd immunity
13
Q
The probability or likelihood of an event occurring.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Risk factor
14
Q
An infection that runs a course similar to that of clinical disease but below the threshold of discernible clinical symptoms.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Infection—unapparent, asymptomatic, or subclinical
15
Q
An infection that results in clinical signs and symptoms of a recognizable disease process.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Infection—apparent, clinical, or symptomatic
16
Q
An infection that is not present at the time of admission to a healthcare facility but is temporally associated with admission to or a procedure performed in the facility; may also be related to a recent hospitalization.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Healthcare-associated infection (HAI)
17
Q
An infection that is present on admission to a healthcare facility and has no association with a recent hospitalization.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Community-acquired infection
18
Q
A component of the epidemiological triangle; refers to a human or other animal.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Host
19
Q
A component of the epidemiological triangle; consists of all external factors associated with the host.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Environment
20
Q
A component of the epidemiological triangle; may be a bacteria, virus, fungus, protozoan, helminth, or prion.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Agent
21
Q
A biological, physical, or chemical entity capable of causing disease.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Causative agent
22
Q
A person who shows no recognizable signs or symptoms of a disease but is capable of spreading the disease to others.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Carrier
23
Q
Those who have recovered from a disease but still have organisms present that can be transmitted.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Convalescent carriers
24
Q
Persons who may continue to have organisms present for very long periods of time.
Section A: Epidemiology
A
Chronic carriers
25
Persons who may continue to have organisms present for very long periods of time.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Sustained carriers**
26
Persons who periodically shed organisms.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Intermittent carriers**
27
In the chain of infection, the path by which an infectious agent leaves the reservoir.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Portal of exit**
28
The method by which an organism reaches a susceptible host.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Mode of transmission**
29
A mode of transmission that features person-to-person spread with actual physical contact occurring between a source and a susceptible host.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Direct contact**
30
A mode of transmission that occurs when a patient comes in contact with a contaminated intermediate object or fomite.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Indirect contact**
31
A mode of transmission that occurs when the infectious agent spends only a brief period passing through the air and can be inhaled at that time.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Droplet transmission**
32
An efficient mode of transmission that may involve varying distances between the source and the host.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Airborne spread**
33
The mechanical transfer of microorganisms by a vector, such as a fly on food.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**External vector-borne transmission**
34
Involves the transfer of infectious material directly from the vector into the new host, such as occurs with mosquitoes and malaria.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Internal vector-borne transmission**
35
In the chain of infection, the means by which an infectious agent enters a susceptible host.
## Footnote
Section A: Epidemiology
**Portal of entry**
36
A system for routine, ongoing, and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of surveillance data to identify infections (i.e., HAI and community-acquired), infection risks, communicable disease outbreaks, and to maintain or improve resident health status.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Surveillance**
37
Surveillance that involves trained individuals (such as IPs) actively looking for healthcare-associated infections using standardized definitions and protocols.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Active surveillance**
38
Surveillance that relies on others (e.g., physicians, nurses, or the microbiology laboratory) who are not trained on surveillance methods or primarily responsible for surveillance activities to report healthcare-associated infections.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Passive surveillance**
39
The set of protocols and guidelines that will direct surveillance activities
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Surveillance plan**
40
A measure that indicates the result of the performance (or nonperformance) of functions or processes.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Outcome measure**
41
A measure that focuses on a process or the steps in a process that lead to a specific outcome.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Process measure**
42
Detail the steps necessary for reaching the goals and addressing the issues identified during surveillance.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Action plans**
43
Measures and tracks all infections at a facility, across its entire population of residents and staff; also known as "comprehensive" or "whole house" surveillance.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Total surveillance**
44
Focuses on a narrow selection of infections and pathogens; also known as "priority-directed" surveillance.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Targeted surveillance**
45
The collection and analysis of pre-diagnostic and nonclinical disease indicators using preexisting electronic data.
## Footnote
Section B: Surveillance Design
**Syndromic surveillance**
46
Collecting and referencing of data in real time, with a focus on new information as it comes in.
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Concurrent data collection**
47
Collating of data that has already been collected, with a
focus on examining what has already happened.
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Retrospective data collection**
48
Specific conditions that qualify as infections for the purpose of surveillance data collection; they are also used in the calculation and reporting of infection rates.
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Surveillance criteria**
49
Data that is socio-economic in nature (e.g., age, sex, race).
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Demographic data**
50
Data related to high-volume, high-risk events within a faciility (e.g., HAIs, immunization rates).
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Event data**
51
Data related to facility protocols and practices (e.g., standard precautions, environmental cleaning).
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Process data**
52
Data bound by a unit of time (e.g., month, year).
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Time data**
53
The extent to which a measure accurately reflects the concept or construct that it is intended to measure. (The Joint Commission)
## Footnote
Section C: Data Collection and Management
**Validity**
54
The relationship between a risk factor and an outcome, such as a disease.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Association**
55
The probability of developing a disease if the risk factor is present divided by the probability of developing the disease if the risk factor is not present.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Relative risk (RR)**
56
The probability of having a particular risk factor if a condition or disease is present divided by the probability of having the risk factor if the disease or condition is not present.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Odds ratio (OR)**
57
Data representing counts or values on a numeric scale.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Quantitative data**
58
Data representing whole numbers.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Discrete data**
59
Data that can be measured on a continuum or scale.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Continuous data**
60
Data representing qualities or characteristics.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Qualitative data**
61
Data split into mutually exclusive groups.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Categorical data**
62
The crudest level of measurement in descriptive statistics. Creates categorical data in which no order is implied by the classifications. Values cannot be measured mathematically (e.g., cannot be averaged) but frequency or percentage can be applied.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Nominal scale**
63
A measurement in descriptive statistics that applies ranking to categorical data on a relative scale so that each category is distinct and stands in some definite relationship to each of the other categories but does not indicate how much greater each level is than another.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Ordinal scale**
64
A measurement in descriptive statistics in which the exact distance between any two ordinal scale observations is known and assumed to be equal but attributes measured have no real, rational zero point.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Interval scale**
65
The highest level of measurement in descriptive statistics; creates interval scale observations that have an absolute, real zero point, which allows for higher levels of statistical analysis.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Ratio scale**
66
The process by which the population in a dataset is separated into distinct categories.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Stratification**
67
Used when one needs to compare the event rates of different groups, for example, if an IP wants to compare catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates for two facilities.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Standardization**
68
The comparison of any two quantitative values.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Ratio**
69
A specific kind of ratio that compares a part to the whole.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Proportion**
70
A specific kind of ratio that includes a unit of time, and provides information about how fast events are occurring.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Rate**
71
Calculation of the direction and magnitude of a relationship between two variables.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Correlation**
72
A way to explain the relationship between a dependent variable (y) and one or more explanatory (or independent) variables (x).
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Regression**
73
A systematic error in study design, subject recruitment, data collection, or analysis that results in a mistaken estimate of the true population parameter. (NIH)
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Bias**
74
A variable that is an independent cause or predictor of the exposure and the outcome and is not on the path between the exposure and the outcome; also called a confounding variable.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Confounder**
75
Prevalence at a specific point in time (e.g., on a given day).
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Point prevalence**
76
Prevalence during a span of time (e.g., over the course of a given month).
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Period prevalence**
77
A measure of the number of new cases or events within the population at risk during the identified time period.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Incidence proportion**
78
Represents the proportion of new cases over a particular period of time.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Incidence rate**
79
The proportion of persons at risk who become infected over an entire period of exposure or a measure of the risk or probability of becoming a case.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Attack rate**
80
A measure of the frequency of death in a defined population during a specified time (usually a year).
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Mortality rate**
81
The set of all observations of interest to the investigator (the universe).
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Population**
82
A group of observations selected from a population and chosen to represent the population as a whole.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Sample**
83
Describe how observations cluster around a middle value and locate only the center of a distribution measure; include mean, median, and mode.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Measures of central tendency**
84
The sum of all values divided by the total number of values.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Mean**
85
The midpoint of a set of observations
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Median**
86
The observation that occurs most frequently in a data set.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Mode**
87
The difference between the smallest and largest values in a data set.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Range**
88
A bell-shaped curve on a graph in which the
distribution (spread) of the values is even on both sides of the mean (both halves are equal) and the mean, median, and mode are all equal.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Normal distribution**
89
The distribution of samples taken.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Sampling distribution**
90
The distribution of data around the mean.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Dispersion**
91
The difference between an individual value in a data set and the mean value.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Deviation**
92
The deviation around the mean of a distribution.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Variance**
93
A measure that reflects the distribution of values around the mean; it is the average of all deviations in a data set and indicates how spread out the data are around the mean.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Standard deviation**
94
The cutoff point for accepting or rejecting the null hypothesis. In a one-tailed test, this occupies just one end of the distribution (bell curve), but, in a two-tailed test, it takes up both ends of the distribution.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Rejection region**
95
The probability value arbitrarily chosen by the
researcher as the desired level of probability at which one may feel secure in rejecting the null hypothesis; typically set at 0.05 or 0.01.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Level of significance**
96
The probability of observing a sample in which the test statistic is greater than or equal to the test statistic for the sample that was actually observed.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**p value**
97
The ability of the indicator to accurately and
consistently identify the events it was designed to identify across multiple healthcare settings. (The Joint Commission)
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Reliability**
98
Occurs when the null hypothesis is rejected when it is actually true or when significance is attributed when there actually is none.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Type I error**
99
Occurs when the null hypothesis is accepted when it is actually false or when significance is not attributed when it actually exists.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Type II error**
100
A measure of the probability that a test correctly identifies as positive persons who have a disease.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Sensitivity**
101
A measure of the proportion of persons with a positive test who have a disease.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Positive predictive value (PPV)**
102
A measure of the probability that a test correctly identifies persons without a disease as negative.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Specificity**
103
A measure of the proportion of persons without a disease who test negative.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Negative predictive value (NPV)**
104
A table with two outcome columns (e.g., disease and no disease) and two exposure rows (e.g., exposed and not exposed).
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**2 by 2 table**
105
The ability of a test to detect a specified difference.
## Footnote
Section D: Statistics
**Power**
106
A data set presented in rows and columns.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Table**
107
A form of visual data presentation used when the magnitudes of different events is important or when one wants to compare parts of the bigger picture.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Chart**
108
Shows the proportion that a group represents within the whole population.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Pie chart**
109
Presents data as side-by-side bars for an easy
comparison of magnitudes, frequency distributions, and time-series data.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Bar graph**
110
A graphic of frequency distribution that looks much like a bar graph but in which each bar represents a different time interval.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Histogram**
111
Chart used to display the same data over time, for example, the rate of ICU CLABSIs over a year; each time point is equidistant from the previous and next time points, with time running along the x axis.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Line chart**
112
A tool for illustrating the geographic distribution of cases; uses dots or other symbols to show where each case-patient lives or was exposed.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Spot map**
113
Map that uses different shades of chosen colors to indicate different rates of infection (or other disease/health condition), with the darker shades indicating higher rates or an increasing disease burden.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Area map**
114
A set of methods for improving systems, processes, and outcomes; the primary goal is to recognize and understand common and special cause variations that affect a process.
## Footnote
Section E: Presenting Surveillance Activity
Results
**Statistical process control (SPC)**
115
The deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. (CDC)
## Footnote
Section F: Emergency Preparedness
**Bioterrorism attack**
116
A standardized management tool for meeting the demands of small or large emergency or
nonemergency situations. (FEMA)
## Footnote
Section F: Emergency Preparedness
**Incident Command System (ICS)**
117
A set of uniformly applied criteria for determining whether a person should be identified as having a particular disease, injury, or other health condition; it usually specifies clinical, laboratory, and other
diagnostic criteria.
## Footnote
Section G: Outbreak Investigations
**Case definition**
118
A document that contains information related to patient symptoms (in case there is the possibility that it is a pseudo-outbreak), medications, procedures, consults, patient locations, contact with HCP, and host of other
factors that might predispose the patients to the infection under investigation.
## Footnote
Section G: Outbreak Investigations
**Line list**
119
A graph in which the cases of a disease that occur during an epidemic (outbreak) are plotted according to the time of onset of illness.
## Footnote
Section G: Outbreak Investigations
**Epidemic curve**
120
Protocols designed to interrupt the transmission of and reduce or eliminate the occurrence of communicable diseases and infections.
## Footnote
Section G: Outbreak Investigations
**Control measures**
