Dictionary

Infection control

Organisms, precautions and the practices that stop infection spreading.

endemicDescribing a disease that is always present at a steady, expected level in a certain area or group.

endoscopeA thin tube with a light and a camera that is passed into the body to look inside an organ or cavity.

enhanced barrier precautionsWearing a gown and gloves during close, high-contact care of certain nursing home residents to stop the spread of drug-resistant germs.

EPAEnvironmental Protection Agency: the US agency that registers disinfectants; also eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fat.

epidemicA rise in cases of a disease in a community or region well above what is normally expected.

epidemiologyThe study of how often diseases happen in groups of people, who gets them, and why.

Epstein-Barr virusA common herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis.

Escherichia coliA rod-shaped bacterium that normally lives in the human intestine, some strains of which cause infection.

ethyleneA colorless, flammable gas used to make plastics and other chemicals, including ethylene oxide.

ethylene oxideA gas used at low temperature to sterilize medical items that heat or moisture would damage.

eye protectionGoggles or a face shield worn to keep blood, body fluids or other splashes out of the eyes.