QUESTION 1
Antiseptics
Substances which inhibits growth and development of micro-organisms.
Asepsis
Absence of germs.
Autoclave
A piece of equipment used to sterilize equipment/materials by ‘steam under pressure’.
Bacteria
A micro-organism that needs food and water to survive.
Bactericidal
An agent that destroys/kills bacteria.
Bacteriostatic
The prevention of bacteria from growing and multiplying, but it doesn’t necessary destroy them.
Cleaning
Cleaning using detergents helps to remove micro-organisms.
Disinfection
Using disinfectants when cleaning helps to destroy the structure of the organism.

Host
Mosby’s definition is; “an organism in which another, usually parasitic, organism is nourished and harboured”.
Immunity
The bodies ability to resist both living and non-living agents that can cause disease.
Immuno-compromised
Mosby’s definition is; “…, pertaining to an immune response that has been weakend by a disease or an immuo suppressive agent”.
Incubation period
The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms of the disease.
Infection
Mosby’s definition is; “invasion of the body by pathogenic micro-organisms that reproduce and multiply, causing disease by local cellular injury, secretion of a toxic, or antigen-antibody reaction in the host”.
Localised Infection
An infection that is limited to a specific part of the body and has local symptoms.
Primary Infection
The initial infection.

Secondary Infection
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine states; “Illness caused by a new bacteria, viruses, or fungi becoming established in the wake of an initial infection”.
Superinfection
Mosby’s definition is; “an infection occurring during antimicrobial treatment for another infection”.
Systemic Infection
An infection that is spread throughout the body rather that in an isolated area.
Micro-organisms
They are usually microscropic and are 6 major groups, 1. Bacteria 2. Viruses 3. Protozoa 4. Fungi 5. Algae 6. Parasites
Pathogens
Disease causing any micro-orgaisim.
Sterile
Completely free of all micro-organisms and their spores.

Non-pathogen
Can not cause disease.
Prophylaxis
Prevention or protection from disease.
Resistance
Source
Virulence
The ability of an agent of infection to produce disease.
QUESTION 2
Infection
Invasion of a part of the body by a pathogenic micro-organisms which multiply in number.
Opportunistic pathogen
A micro-organism which causes disease in a susceptible individual.
Virulence
The ability of micro-organisms to cause disease.
Normal flora
Micro-organisms which reside in particular parts of our bodies without causing us harm.
Nosocomial infection
Infections associated with the delivery of health care in a health care service.
QUESTION 3
The ward you are working on has one large sharps container in the medication room. Staff bring their sharps back to this room from wherever they have used them.
Why is this procedure unsatisfactory?
Sharps should be disposed of straight away as it can cause potential exposure to infections and injuries, not only to the nurse but to the patient, other workers and visitors.
What steps can be taken to make this safe?
Instead of having 1 large sharps container have several smaller sharps containers that nursing staff could use.
How would you go about having this altered?
I would first speak to my nursing unit manager about instead of having 1 large sharps container about having several smaller sharps containers that the nursing staff could take into the rooms with them. If the nursing unit manager would not listen I would approach the Occupational Health and Safety Officer about policies and procedures not being meet.
QUESTION 4
You are working with a new staff member and notice they are wearing a bracelet and artificial nails. What information would you give the new staff member regarding client safety and infection control for both the bracelet and nails?
I would ask if the new