Infection control

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

The gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium that causes anthrax.

A spore-forming bacterium whose spores are used in biological indicators that test ethylene oxide and dry heat sterilization.

The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream.

An infection caused by bacteria growing in the body.

Able to kill bacteria.

A virus that infects bacteria; also called a phage.

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

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

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

The system of giving every living thing a two-part scientific name, its genus and then its species, such as Escherichia coli.

The number of microorganisms on an item before disinfection or sterilization.

A community of microbes stuck to a surface inside a slimy layer they make themselves, as on instruments, catheters, implants or wounds.

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

A test holding live bacterial spores that are hard to kill, run through a sterilizer and then incubated to show whether the cycle killed them.

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

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

An infection in which bacteria or fungi are growing in the blood.

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

Keeping every instrument and supply that touches open bowel apart from the clean setup, to stop bowel bacteria spreading to the wound.

A daily test that checks whether a prevacuum steam sterilizer removes all the air from its chamber.

Anything that contaminates, or may have contaminated, a sterile surface in the sterile field; it is reported to the team and fixed at once.