Infection & Blood Borne Pathogens
Terms
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- The contamination of a person or object by another.
- cross contamination
- An infection acquired within a health care setting.
- noscomial
- A microbe capable of causing a disease.
- pathogen
- The invasion of the human body or tissue by pathogenic microorganisms that reproduce and multiply, causing disease.
- infection
-
Some results from an infection:
(6) -
1. delayed healing
2. patient discomfort
3. patient and family distress
4. patient dependency on health care professionals
5. infections can lead to disabilities, deformities, and possibly death
6. infections cost $$ - An overgrowth of microbes.
- infection
-
Modes of transmission:
(4) -
1. direct contact
2. indirect contact
3. airborne spread (droplet)
4. common vehicle spread (infection carried in blood products) -
Factors that increase the risk of infection postoperatively for patients:
(5) -
1. age
2. obesity
3. general health
4. preexisting illness
5. preoperative hospitalization - An infection of the surgical wound that was acquired during the course of the surgical procedure.
- Surgical Site Infection (SSI)
- Protein substance present in blood plasma that protects against specific pathogenic organisms.
- antibody
- These are formed by antigenic stimulation.
- antibody
- A substance which when introduced into the blood causes antibody formation.
- antigen
- A local infection that acts as a center from which germs spread to other parts of the body and start other infections.
- focal infection
- Insusceptible to a particular disease or infection. Can either be naturally acquired or artificially acquired.
- immunity
- Occurs when pathogenic microorganisms enter body tissue and multiply there, causing injury to the tissue cells either through action of the bacteria or the toxins produced by them.
- infection
- The ability of bacteria to enter host tissues, multiply there and spread.
- invasiveness
- Organisms capable of producing disease only when given a special opportunity to enter the body tissues through injury to skin or mucous membranes or when natural resistance to infection is abnormally low.
- opportunists
- Organisms which live in or on bodies of living plants or animals.
- parasites
- Ability of microorganisms to cause disease or to result in the production of progressive lesions.
- pathogenicity
-
The process by which leukocytes engulf and destroy bacteria.
"cell eating" - phagocytosis
- The specific route or pathway by which a particular organism normally enters the body and causes infection.
- portal-of-entry
- White or yellow creamy material present in infectious process; consist of dead leukocytes, dead bacteria, tissue cells, fluid from tissue and blood.
- pus
- The microorganisms that are regularly found in specific body areas and that live harmlessly there: skin; respiratory tract; gastrointestinal tract; etc.
- resident flora
- The natural ability of some people to ward off infection, even though they are exposed. Also, the ability of some bacteria to avoid destructive action by certain drugs.
- resistance
- Presence of pathogenic organisms in blood or tissue.
- sepsis
- When bacterial poisons get past walled off areas around primary infection sites and circulate freely in the blood stream.
- septicemia
- The ability of bacteria to produce toxic substances.
- toxigenicity
- Non-pathogenic or only potentially pathogenic microorganisms which inhabit the skin and mucous membranes; may be a reflection of the environment.
- transient flora
- The ability of an organism to establish, maintain and extend and infection an to damage the body.
- virulence
- Smile, Kelly, we're almost done!
- Seriously!
-
Pathogenic organisms are introduced into body tissues by:
(3) -
1. during surgery (droplet, contaminated supplies)
2. from trauma (lacerations, puncture wounds)
3. from contaminated infusion equipment (needles, tubing) -
Conditions within a wound that favors growth of organisms:
(3) -
1. food (blood)
2. moisture (serum)
3. warmth (body temperature) - Destroys red blood cells.
- hemolycin
- Causes nausea and vomiting if ingested with staphylococcal infested food.
- enterotoxin
- Necrosis of skin tissue; coagulation of oxalated or citrated plasma; hemolysis or red blood cells.
- coagulase
- Destroys penicillin.
- penicillinase
-
Natural body defenses against infection:
(5) -
1. unbroken skin
2. mucous membranes
3. phagocytosis
4. inflammation
5. lymphatic system - Immunizations stimulate antigen-antibody reaction without the full-blown disease in order to protect an individual againt the dangers of the bacterial infection.
- artificial immunity
-
Improper surgical technique by the *surgeon* may cause predisposition to infections because of:
(5) -
1. incision too small
2. rough handling of tissue
3. prolong exposure
4. separation of tissue layers
5. inadequate hemostasis