Med Surg exam 1
Infection Control and Isolation
Infectious agent: something that contains bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, or prions.
Reservoir: the habitat of the infectious agent
Portal of exit: how the infectious agent leaves the reservoir
Mode of transmission: how bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and prions move from
place to place.
o These are contact, droplet, and airborne
Portal of entry: any orifice (ex, ears, nose, mouth) that provides a place for an infectious
agent to replicate.
Susceptible host: required for the infection agent to take hold and become a reservoir
for infection.
o Factors that increase host susceptibility: age, underlying diseases, malignancy,
transplants, surgical procedures, etc.
Virulent: describes how efficiently an infectious agent makes people ill
Contact transmission:
o Direct: occurs when microorganisms are directly moved from an infected person
to another.
o Indirect: occurs when microorganisms are directly moved from the infected
person to another person with a contaminated object.
PPE: designed equipment that is meant to protect the health care worker from
contamination, blood, or body fluids.
Donned: putting on
o Gown, mask, eyewear, gloves
Doff: taking off
o Gloves, eyewear, gown, mask (GERM)
Standard precautions: infection prevention practices that apply to all clients.
Droplet transmission: occurs when droplets from the respiratory tract of a client travel
through the air (coughing, sneezing, singing, and talking)
o Private room- should stay abt 3 feet and wear a mask
o Cold, flu, etc.
Airborne: Occurs when small particulates move into the airspace of another person.
o Neg pressure room
o MTVC: Measles, TB, Varicella, Covid
o N95 mask
Contact: precautions used when a pt has an infectious agent that can be transmitted
through direct and indirect transmission.
o C.diff, RSV, VRE, etc, MDRO
o Gowns and gloves at a minimum
Vehicle transmission: transmission of infectious agents through a common source, such
as contaminated food or water.
Infection Control and Isolation
Infectious agent: something that contains bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, or prions.
Reservoir: the habitat of the infectious agent
Portal of exit: how the infectious agent leaves the reservoir
Mode of transmission: how bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and prions move from
place to place.
o These are contact, droplet, and airborne
Portal of entry: any orifice (ex, ears, nose, mouth) that provides a place for an infectious
agent to replicate.
Susceptible host: required for the infection agent to take hold and become a reservoir
for infection.
o Factors that increase host susceptibility: age, underlying diseases, malignancy,
transplants, surgical procedures, etc.
Virulent: describes how efficiently an infectious agent makes people ill
Contact transmission:
o Direct: occurs when microorganisms are directly moved from an infected person
to another.
o Indirect: occurs when microorganisms are directly moved from the infected
person to another person with a contaminated object.
PPE: designed equipment that is meant to protect the health care worker from
contamination, blood, or body fluids.
Donned: putting on
o Gown, mask, eyewear, gloves
Doff: taking off
o Gloves, eyewear, gown, mask (GERM)
Standard precautions: infection prevention practices that apply to all clients.
Droplet transmission: occurs when droplets from the respiratory tract of a client travel
through the air (coughing, sneezing, singing, and talking)
o Private room- should stay abt 3 feet and wear a mask
o Cold, flu, etc.
Airborne: Occurs when small particulates move into the airspace of another person.
o Neg pressure room
o MTVC: Measles, TB, Varicella, Covid
o N95 mask
Contact: precautions used when a pt has an infectious agent that can be transmitted
through direct and indirect transmission.
o C.diff, RSV, VRE, etc, MDRO
o Gowns and gloves at a minimum
Vehicle transmission: transmission of infectious agents through a common source, such
as contaminated food or water.
