| A | B |
|---|
| communicable disease | transmitted directly or indirectly from one person to another |
| pathogens | organisms that cause disease |
| incubation period | invasion by pathogens and the onset of clinical symptoms |
| prodromal | the initial stage of a disease; interval between the earliest symptoms and the appearance of a typical rash or fever |
| fomite | inanimate material that absorbs and transmits infection |
| vector | an insect or animal that carries and spread the disease |
| pandemic | worldwide high incidence of a communicable disease |
| epidemic | sudden increase of a communicable disease |
| endemic | continuous incidence of a communicable diseasa in a localized area |
| body substance | moist secretions or parts of the body that can contain microorganisms |
| portal of entry | route by which the organisms enter the body |
| portal of exit | route by which the organisms exit the body |
| reservoir for infection | a place that supports the growth of organisms |
| opportunistic infections | an infection caused by bacteria normally found in the environment that the immune-suppressed individual cannnot resist or fight |
| nosocomial infection | an infection acquired in a health care facility during hospitalization |
| natural immunity | resistance is inborn |
| acquired immunity | not the result of inherited factors but is acquired as a result of having the disease or is artificially acquired by receiving vaccines or immune serums |
| active immunity | when the person produces his or her own immunity |
| passive immunity | acts immediately but does not lasts as long as immunity actively produced by the body |
| standard precautions | the nurse must understand the importance of protecting himself or herself and others from the contagious patient |
| erythema | a diffused reddened area on the skin |
| macule | a circular reddened area on the skin |
| papule | a circular reddened area on the skin that is elevated |
| pustule | a circular reddened area on the skin that is elevated and contains pus |
| scab | a dried pustule that is covered with a crust |
| pathognomonic | a term used to desribe a lesion or symptom that is characteristic of a specific illness |
