Aerobic
Bacteria that can survive only in the presence of oxygen.
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
Anaerobic
Bacteria that can survive without oxygen.
Anaphylaxis
Severe, possibly fatal, systemic hypersensitivity reaction to a sensitizing agent-that is, a drug, food, or chemical.
Antibiotic
Antimicrobial agent, either natural or synthetic, that kills or stops the growth of other organisms.
Antibody
A protein like substance produced in the body to fight microorganisms.
Antifungal
Drug that kills or prevents the growth of fungi.
Aseptic
Free of pathogens.
Autoclave
Machine that sterilizes with steam under pressure, usually at 250�, for a designated time.
Bactericide
An agent that is destructive to bacteria.
Bacteriostatic
An agent that inhibits the growth or multiplication of bacteria.
Broad-spectrum Antibiotics
Antibiotics that are effective against a wide variety of pathogens.
Clostridium Difficile
Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria that are the major cause of nosocomial infection.
Culture And Sensitivity Test
Laboratory technique for finding out which, if any, microbes are present, and which antibiotic will be effective against a specific pathogen.
Disinfectant
Chemical capable of killing bacteria; used in sterilization process.
Fungi
Plantlike parasitic microorganisms that are more difficult to treat than bacteria because fungal cell structure resembles the cell structure of human cells.
Gram Stain
Laboratory test for identifying microbes.
HBV
Hepatitis B virus.
HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
Hypersensitivity
An exaggerated response to a drug or other foreign agent.
Immune
Able to resist damage from pathogens.
Immunization
A way of stimulating production of antibodies by exposing the body to weakened or killed germs.
Infection
An invasion by pathogens that reproduce, multiply, and cause disease.
Infectious Disease
Disease caused by direct or indirect spread of pathogens from one person to another.
Inoculation
Immunizing by administration of a vaccine.
Isolation
Keeping a patient in an environment where pathogens cannot spread from patient to health care worked and/or vice versa.
Leukocytes
White blood cells that defend the body against bacteria.
Microorganisms
Tiny, one-celled plants and animals; some are pathogenic/disease-producing and others are nonpathogenic; also called microbes.
Mycoses
Infections caused by fungi.
Narrow-spectrum Antibiotics
Antibiotics that are effective against specific pathogens.
Nosocomial
Refers to an infection that occurs in a hospital or long-term care facility.
Pathogens
Disease-producing microorganisms.
Penicillinase
Enzyme produced by microbes that make them resistant to penicillin.
Photosensitivity
Sensitivity to light, often a side effect of certain drugs; can cause rash.
Resistance
The ability of a particular microorganism to resist the effects of a specific antibiotic.
Standard Precautions
Primary strategies for prevention of infection transmitted through blood, body fluid, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes.
Superinfection
Secondary infection that occurs while the antibiotic is destroying the first infection.
Universal Precautions
Safety measures that consider all patients potentially infectious with blood borne pathogens.
Vaccination
Introduction of an infectious agent for the purpose of establishing resistance to an infectious disease.
Penicillins
Large group of antibiotics that are the most effective and least toxic of all antimicrobials. Effective against infections caused by Staphylococci, Streptococci, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella bacteria, especially strep throat and syphilis.
Cephalosporins
Broad-spectrum, semisynthetic drugs that are chemical modifications of the penicillin structure. They are generally used to treat respiratory tract infections, but are also used in the treatment of gastrointestinal, genitourinary tract, skin and soft tissue, and bone and joint infections.
Tetracyclines
Used to treat a variety of infections such as respiratory, rickettsial, venereal, and amebiasis. Also used as an adjunct therapy for acne. They pose a greater risk of superinfection.
Macrolides
Azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), and erythromycin are both bacteriostatic and bactericidal.
Ketolides
Structurally related to the macrolide family of antibiotics, they have been found to be effective against gram-positive and some gram-negative aerobes. They are used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, and mild to moderate pneumonia, especially Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Aminoglycosides
Potent bactericidal antibiotics that are generally used to treat only serious or life-threatening infections. They have a high incidence of toxic effects on several body systems. They are generally reserved for gram-negative bacteria causing bone infections, septicemia, skin and soft tissue infections, respiratory infections, and postoperative and intra-abdominal infections such as peritonitis.
Sulfonamides (Sulfa drugs)
Useful for many different types of infection and conditions, such as urinary tract infections, chancroid, meningitis, rheumatic fever, nocardiosis, trachoma, and sexually trasnmitted diseases.
Quinolones
Bactericidal, broad-spectrum, synthetic antibiotics that are used in the treatment of respiratory, gastrointestinal, bone, skin, and urinary infections.
Strict Isolation
Patient is kept in a seperate room or shares a room with a patient who has the same disease, and the door is kept closed. All involved staff wear protective gowns, masks, and gloves. Ordered for hospital staph infections and serious infectious diseases that can be spread by touch and by air.
Respiratory Isolation
Patient is kept in a seperate room with the door closed. Staff members wear protective masks only. Ordered for meningitis, measles, mumps, and tuberculosis.
Reverse Isolation
Patient is kept in a separate room with the door closed. Gown, mask, and gloves must be worn. Ordered for patients who have no immunity or who have weakened immunity.