| A | B |
|---|
| bacteremia | condition resulting from microorgansims escaping the lymph nodes and reaching the bloodstream, which may lead to sepsis |
| carrier | human or animal that harbors an infectious microorganism but does not show active evidence of the disease |
| community-acquired infections | diseases that are transmitted from one infected person or reservoir to another, such as TB and meningitis |
| culture | a test used to identify bacteria within a specimen taken from a person with symptoms of an infection |
| emerging infectious diseases | disorder caused by microorganisms that are new or have had a resurgence in the last 2 decades |
| epidemic | rapidly spreading infectious disease in a particular region |
| fomites | nonliving environment in which an infectious agent can survive and reporduce |
| host | person on whom a microorganism resides |
| chain of infection | the six components involved in the transmission of microorganisms; infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, means of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host |
| leukocytosis | white blood cells |
| means of transmission | method by which a microorganism is transferred from its reservoir to a susceptible host; the five potential means of transmission are contact, droplet, airborne, vehicle, and vector |
| microorganisms | potentially infectious agents that are so small they can be seen only with a microscope; commonly called germs |
| multidrug resistance | ability of some types of bacteria to remain unaffected by several antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics |
| nonpathogens | microorganisms that are generally harmless to healthy humans |
| nosocomial infections | infections acquired while being cared for in a healthcare agency that were not active, incubatory, or chronic at the time of admission |
| opportunistic infections | condition in which nonpathogenic or remotely pathogenic microorganisms take advantage of a favorable situation and overwhelm the host; also called superinfections |
| pandemic | rapidly spresding disease infecting large numbers of people throughout the world |
| pathogens | microorganisms that have a high potential to cause infectious diseases |
| phagocytosis | process of enfulfing and digesting bacteria and foreign material |
| portal of entry | route through which an infectious agent gains entrance into a susceptible host |
| portal of exit | route through which an infectious agent exits from a reservoir |
| prion | protein that does not contain nucleic acid and that, after undergoing a mutant change, is capable of becoming an infectious agent |
| reemerging infectious diseases | disorder caused by microorganisms that are new or have had a resurgence in the last 2 decades within and beyond a geographic range |
| reservoir | human, animal, or nonliving environment in which an infectious agent can survive and reproduce |
| sensitivity | studies performed to determine which antibiotic inhibits the growth of a nonviral microorganism and will be most effective intreating an infection |
| sepsis | systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) resulting from infection |
| septicemia | condition resulting from microorganisms escaping the lymph nodes and reaching the bloodstream, which may lead to sepsis |
| severe sepsis | pre-septic condition that develops when sepsis is combined with organ hypoperfusion |
| standard precautions | measures for reducing the risk of transmitting pathogens from both recognized and unrecognized sources of infection |
| superinfections | conditions in which nonpathogenic or remotely pathogenic microorganisms overwhelm the host; also called opportunistic infections |
| susceptibility | potential for infection or disease |
| transmission-based precautions | actions that interfere with the manner in which a particular pathogen is spread |
| virulence | power of a microorganism to produce disease |
| zoonotic pathogens | microorganisms that spread to animals and then to humans |
