Dictionary

Infection control

Organisms, precautions and the practices that stop infection spreading.

abscessA closed pocket of pus in tissue, walled off by the body.

aerationAiring out: in sterile processing, the step that removes leftover ethylene oxide gas from items after sterilization.

AIDSAcquired immunodeficiency syndrome: the most advanced stage of HIV infection, when the immune system is badly damaged.

airborne infectionAn infection that spreads through tiny germ-carrying particles that stay floating in the air and can travel some distance.

airborne precautionsInfection control steps, used with standard precautions, for germs that spread through tiny particles that stay in the air.

airborne transmissionThe spread of germs in tiny particles that stay floating in the air and can travel across a room or farther.

aminoglycosideA group of strong antibiotics, mostly given by IV or injection, that kill many gram-negative bacteria.

anthraxA serious infection caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

anti-infectiveA drug that kills or stops the growth of germs that cause infection.

antibioticA drug that kills bacteria or stops them from growing.

antibiotic resistanceThe ability of bacteria to survive an antibiotic that used to kill them or stop their growth.

antifungalA drug that kills fungi or stops them from growing, used to treat fungal infections.

antimicrobialA drug or substance that kills or slows the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites.

antiretroviralA drug used to treat or prevent HIV infection by stopping the virus from multiplying.

antisepticA substance put on the skin or other living tissue to kill germs or slow their growth.

antiviralA drug that treats or prevents infection by a virus, usually by stopping the virus from making copies of itself.

asepsisThe state of being free of germs that cause disease, and the practices used to keep things that way.

azithromycinA macrolide antibiotic taken by mouth or IV for infections of the lungs, sinuses, skin and some sexually transmitted infections.

BacillusA group of rod-shaped bacteria that can form spores; written in small letters, bacillus means any rod-shaped bacterium.

bacteremiaThe presence of bacteria in the bloodstream.

bacterial infectionAn infection caused by bacteria growing in the body.

bacteriumA tiny one-celled living thing, seen only under a microscope, of which some kinds cause disease; the plural is bacteria.

barrierSomething that blocks passage, such as gloves that block germs, or anything that gets in the way of care or learning.

BCGBacille Calmette-Guérin: a live, weakened bacterium used as a tuberculosis vaccine and as a bladder cancer treatment.

biohazardA biological material, such as blood, body fluids or used sharps, that can spread infection to people.

blood cultureA test in which blood is placed in bottles and watched to see whether bacteria or fungi grow from it.

bloodborne pathogenA germ carried in blood that can cause disease in a person exposed to that blood, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.

bloodstream infectionAn infection in which bacteria or fungi are growing in the blood.

body fluidAny liquid made in or found inside the body, such as blood, urine, saliva or fluid inside cells.

Bowie-Dick testA daily test that checks whether a prevacuum steam sterilizer removes all the air from its chamber.

C. difficileClostridioides difficile, a spore-forming bacterium that can infect the colon (the large intestine).

CandidaA group of yeasts that normally live on the skin and in the mouth, gut and vagina and can overgrow to cause infection.

candidiasisAn infection caused by Candida, a yeast (a kind of fungus).

carbuncleA cluster of boils joined under the skin: a deep infection of several neighboring hair follicles.

catheter-associated urinary tract infectionA urinary tract infection that develops in a person who has, or recently had, a urinary catheter in place.

catheter-related bloodstream infectionAn infection of the blood that comes from germs entering through an intravenous catheter.

CD4A protein on the surface of helper T cells; a CD4 count measures how many of these immune cells are in the blood.

CD4 countA blood test that counts CD4 T cells, the white blood cells that HIV infects and destroys.

CD8A marker on the surface of cytotoxic (killer) T cells, the white blood cells that destroy infected and cancer cells; also those cells themselves.

ceftriaxoneA third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic given by injection into a vein or muscle.

cellulitisA bacterial infection of the deeper layers of the skin and the tissue just under it.

Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThe United States government agency that studies disease and sets national guidance on preventing and controlling it.

cephalexinA first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic taken by mouth for skin, urinary, ear and other bacterial infections.

cephalosporinA large group of antibiotics related to penicillin that kill bacteria by damaging their cell walls.

ChlamydiaA sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis; also the name of the bacterium.

colonizationHaving germs living on or in the body without causing illness.

common coldA mild viral infection of the nose and throat.

communicableAble to be passed from one person, or animal, to another.

communicable diseaseA disease that can spread from one person, or animal, to another.

community-acquired pneumoniaPneumonia that a person develops outside a hospital or long-term care facility.