Glossary of terms used in infection control

AEROBIOUS : Organisms that need diatomic oxygen to live or to be able to develop,

survive, grow, and work properly.
AEROSOL: Suspension of small liquid or solid particles in a gas. The devices used to
generate aerosols of solid particles are called inhalers and those used to produce liquid
particles are called nebulizers.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT : It is a chemical substance that, at low concentrations, acts
against microorganisms, destroying them or inhibiting their growth.
Examples of antimicrobials that target bacteria are antibiotics that act against human or
animal infections, and biocides such as disinfectants and preservatives.
ISOLATION : A set of procedures that separates infected people from those susceptible to
becoming infected, during the period of transmissibility. keep sick people away from
others to prevent them from becoming infected; It can be done in a hospital, clinic or at
home.
ANAEROBIC: Anaerobic bacteria are microorganisms that are capable of surviving and
multiplying in environments that do not have oxygen. For example, they can proliferate in
injured human tissue that is not receiving a flow of oxygen-rich blood. These types of
bacteria cause infections such as tetanus and gangrene.
ANTIBIOTICS: Natural or man-made substances, such as penicillin, that kill certain
microorganisms or inhibit the growth of bacteria at a very low concentration. The term is
often used interchangeably with other terms such as antibacterial and antimicrobial.
ANTISEPSY : Process that destroys microorganisms on the skin or mucous membranes
using chemical substances, without significantly affecting the tissues on which it is applied,
for example, pre-intervention preparation of the operating field.
ANTISEPTICS : Germicidal substance that, being of low toxicity, can be applied to the skin
and living tissues with the purpose of destroying pathogenic microorganisms (biocidal
action) or preventing their proliferation (biostatic action). These are, for example,
iodinated compounds, alcohols (ethyl and isopropyl), chlorhexidine or hexachlorophene.
ASEPSY : Set of procedures that prevent the arrival of microorganisms to a thing or place,
for example, appropriate surgical techniques or appropriate use of clothing
AUTOCLAVE : Autoclave is a thick-walled metal pressure vessel with an airtight seal that
allows working at high pressure to carry out an industrial reaction, cooking or steam
sterilization in order to sterilize surgical materials and instruments.
BACTERIOSTASIS : Inhibition of bacterial growth. Bacteria are unharmed to the point that
they grow if placed in a favorable environment out of the reach of chemicals (most
antiseptics are bacteriostatic because they do not destroy bacteria).
BARRIER: Material used to reduce or inhibit the migration or transmission of
microorganisms in the environment. Barriers include staff clothing, cloths or sheets on
furniture and the patient, packaging of materials, and filters in the ventilation system.
BIOLOAD : Degree of microbial contamination of a device or object before sterilization or
disinfection .
STERILE FIELD: Area surrounding the surgical incision or the area where an instrument is
introduced into a body orifice that prepares for the use of sterile instruments and devices.
This area includes furniture covered by sterile drapes and staff appropriately dressed.
CROSS CONTAMINATION : Transmission of microorganisms from one patient to another
and from an inanimate object to a patient and vice versa
CONTAMINATED: Dirty or infected by microorganisms.
DECONTAMINATION: Cleaning and disinfection or sterilization process carried out to
make contaminated utensils suitable and safe for use.
DISINFECTION: Destruction of microorganisms in inanimate objects that ensures the
elimination of vegetative forms and not the elimination of bacterial spores. The degree of
disinfection depends primarily on the resistance of the agent, the nature of the
contamination and the objective of the process.
HIGH LEVEL DISINFECTION : Eliminates all microorganisms except for a large number of
bacterial spores.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL DISINFECTION: Inactivates vegetative bacteria, including
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and most fungi and viruses, but not bacterial spores.
LOW LEVEL DISINFECTION: can destroy most bacteria, some viruses and fungi, but not
resistant microorganisms, such as M. Tuberculosis or bacterial spores.
DISINFECTANTS: Agents that destroy the vegetative or growing forms of microorganisms,
completely eliminating them from inanimate objects (syn. germicidal -the suffix cida
means destruction-). Generally, reference is made to the specific action of the following
disinfectants:
BACTERICIDAL: Destroys gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, unless otherwise
specified. The action may be specific for certain species of bacteria.
SPORICIDE: They act against bacterial spores and destroy them
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE ITEMS: Personal protective equipment is special equipment that
you wear to create a barrier between you and germs. This barrier reduces the likelihood of
touching, exposing, and spreading germs. Personal protective equipment (PPE) helps
prevent the spread of germs in the hospital. This can protect people and healthcare
workers from infections. All hospital staff, patients and visitors must wear PPE when they
will come into contact with blood or other body fluids.

FUNGICIDE: Toxic substances used to prevent the growth or kill fungi and molds that are
harmful to plants, animals or humans. Like any chemical product, it must be used with
caution to avoid any harm to human health, animals and the environment.
VIRUCIDE: Substance or drug capable of destroying or inactivating viruses
ENDOGENOUS : Which originates inside the organism due to internal biological causes.
Endogenous diseases produce a structural or functional alteration of an organ or system
of the body.
EPIDEMIOLOGY: Epidemiology studies the Health and Disease processes that affect the
population. It is interested in knowing the characteristics of the groups that are affected;
how Health and Disease events are distributed geographically and over time; how
frequently they manifest and what are the causes or factors associated with their
emergence.
SPORES: inactive, but viable, state of microorganisms in the environment. Certain bacteria
and fungi remain in this form until the environment is favorable for vegetative growth.
The spore stage is very resistant to heat, chemical toxins and other methods of
destruction.
STERILE: free of microorganisms, including spores.
STERILIZATION: processes that destroy all pathogenic or non-pathogenic microorganisms,
including spores .
STERILIZER: Chamber or machine used to achieve physical or chemical sterilization.
EXOGENOUS: source of infection located outside the body, for example (environment)
FLORA: Bacteria and fungi that normally inhabit the body.
FOMITE: Inanimate object that can be contaminated by infectious organisms and that
intervenes in the transmission of the disease.
INFECTION: Invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms and the reaction of the
tissues to their presence and the toxins they generate.
CROSS INFECTION: Infection contracted by a patient from another patient or health
personnel, and/or contracted by health personnel from a patient .
NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION : Hospital-acquired or hospital-related infection that does not
exist when the patient enters the healthcare facility.
INFECTIOUS MATERIAL: Infections associated with care provided in a hospital or
outpatient setting represent both a social and economic problem due to their impact on
morbidity and mortality, the damage they cause to health and therefore the increase in
supplies ( material, human and financial), according to the National Epidemiological
Surveillance System, developed countries can prevent and control 40% of them.
MICROGOT: Tiny particle of moisture that is expelled from the respiratory tract when
talking, sneezing or coughing and that contains microorganisms.
MICROORGANISMS : Living organisms, invisible to the human eye, which include bacteria,
fungi, viruses, protozoa, yeasts and molds (syn. Microbes)
PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS: Infectious agents that can cause diseases to their host.
This term is normally used to describe microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi,
among others, microorganisms that cause infectious diseases. They can invade healthy
tissues by themselves or by the toxins they produce.
NON-STERILE: Inanimate object that has not been subjected to a sterilization process;
Outer wrapper of a package containing a sterile article; person who is not prepared to
enter the sterile field
OPPORTUNISTS : Microorganisms that do not usually invade tissues, but are capable of
causing infection or disease if introduced into the body mechanically through an injury,
such as the tetanus bacillus, or when the host's defenses are diminished, such as after
infection. for HIV.
PATHOGEN: Microorganisms responsible for the production of infectious disease.
Pathogens can cause infectious diseases that can be transmitted from one person to
another, a condition that becomes especially relevant in the hospital environment.
CARRIER: apparently healthy person who harbors and can transmit a pathogenic
microorganism.
UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS: Standards and protocols to protect staff from contact with
blood and body fluids of all patients
SURGICALLY CLEAN: Mechanically cleaned, but not sterile.
SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS: Control of sterile, non-sterile, clean and contaminated areas
and the proximities to them. It includes the size of the instrumental staff and their
relationships with each other and with the sterile field.
SEPSIS: Severe toxic febrile state as a consequence of an infection by pyogenic
microorganisms, with or without associated septicemia.
SEPTICEMIA : Clinical syndrome characterized by significant invasion by microorganisms
from a focus of infection in the tissues into the blood.
SUPERINFECTION: Secondary infection caused by a microorganism that appears during or
after antibiotic treatment.
ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE: Procedures and activities carried out by health personnel, leading to
minimizing microbial contamination, during patient care, also preventing contamination
with microorganisms.
STERILE TECHNIQUE : Methods to prevent contamination by microorganisms and
maintain sterility during the surgical procedure.
VIRULENCE: The ability of a pathogen to infect or damage its host tissues is determined by
virulence factors, and is also a degree of infectious capacity of a microorganism.
VIRUS: A very simple microorganism that infects cells and can cause disease. Because
viruses can only multiply inside an infected cell, it is understood that they do not have a
life of their own.
BACTERIA: Unicellular organisms that obtain their nutrients from the environment in which
they live. They can cause problems, such as cavities, urinary tract infections, ear
infections, or strep throat, to name a few examples. But bacteria don't always cause
disease.
FUNGI: They are primitive organisms. Mushrooms and mold are some types of fungi. Fungi
live in air, soil, plants and water. Some live in the human body. Only about half of all types
of fungi are harmful.
PARASITE: An organism that lives on or inside a host organism and feeds at the host's
expense. There are three major classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites.