Definition Of Terms

JHOMZ ALVAREZ
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Communicable Disease- is an illness due to specific infectious agents or its toxic products transmitted directly or
indirectly. Diseases transmitted from one person to another.
 Infectious Disease- Disease of man or animal resulting from an infectious origin.
 Contagious Disease- An illness which arises only thru the DIRECT transmission of an infectious agent and is
EASILY transmitted.
 Carrier- Person who harbours the specific of infectious agent but DON’T MANIFESTS any signs and symptoms
of the disease; They can be a SOURCE and can transmit the agent to another susceptible host.
 Contact- person or animal who have been presumably exposed with an infected person or animal.
 Isolation- Separation of an infected person from others during the period of communicability to prevent the
spread of infection. PATIENTS HAVE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE.
 Quarantine- Limitation of movement of an individual/s or a community EXPOSED to the infectious agent to
prevent the spread of an infection.
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Vector- Arthropods and other invertebrates that can be a vehicle of an infection.
 Fomites- Non-living vehicles of transmission of infectious diseases.
 Incubation Period- Time from the introduction of the causative agent up to the appearance of the first signs and
symptoms of the disease.
 Reservoir- Place where infectious agents live and multiply, depend for survival. Reservoir can be inanimate
objects, humans, and other animal.
 Pathogenicity- refers to a microbe’s ability to cause pathogenic changes or disease.
 Virulence-refers to the degree of a microorganism ability to cause a disease or pathological change in a host cell;
Depends on toxins, ability to evade host defences, spores and genetic variation.
 Invasiveness(Infectivity)-ability of a microbe to invade tissues.
 Susceptible Host-Man or animal who do not have resistance against the infectious agents and are liable to
infection.
 DEFINITION OF TERMS

 Disinfection- killing of pathogenic agents by chemical or physical means.

 Disinfestation- chemical or physical procedures that serve to destroy undesirable
animal forms.
 Portal Of Entry- way where microorganisms can enter the susceptible host.
 Portal Of Exit- Where infectious microorganisms can exit the reservoir.
 Mode Of Transmission- is the means by which the infectious agent passes from
the portal of exit in the reservoir to the susceptible host.
 MODE OF TRANSMISSION

 Contact Transmission- Is the most common transmission among health workers.

a. Direct Contact- person to person spread of microorganisms thru actual physical contact.
(e.g. Scabies, Herpes simplex, or sexual transmission)
b. Indirect Contact- usually by contaminated inanimate objects, thermometer, syringes,
irrigating solutions, catheters, toys etc.
c. Droplet Infection- results from contact with inanimate objects contaminated respiratory
secretions; (e.g. Influenza, pneumonia or whooping cough)
 Vehicle transmission- Vehicle is a substance or object that maintains the life or viability of a
microbe until it is ingested or inoculated into a susceptible host. Food, water, drugs, blood,
serum, plasma, feces (e.g. Salmonellosis, hepatitis A.
 MODE OF TRANSMISSION

 Airborne transmission-
a. Droplet Nuclei- Microorganisms that can suspend in the air for a longer period of time (TB
Bacilli)
b. Dust Particles
c. Organisms shed into environment from skin, hair, wounds, or perineal area.
 Vector-borne Transmission- (Via Arthropods)
a. Occurs when an intermediate carrier or vector transfers a microorganism to another living
organism;
b. Flea, mosquitoes, rats, and ticks
(e.g. Dengue Fever, Lyme Disease)
 INFECTION CONTROL
 Standard Precautions(1st Tier)
-designated for the care of all hospital patients regardless of origin or presumed infection;
-Primary strategy for reducing the risk of and controlling nosocomial infections;
-Apply to: a. blood and all body fluids
b. open skin lesions
c. Secretions and excretions(except Sweat)
d. Mucous membrane
-must wear GLOVES, GOOGLES, GOWN and MASK; “Do not Recap”
-HANDWASHING ! HANDWASHING ! HANDWASHING !
 Transmission-based Precautions(2nd Tier)
AB- AirBorne Precuation
- to reduce the risk of airborne transmission
- e.g. PTB, Measles, Varicella;
-Needs
-Isolate the Patient!! Use of particulate MASK/ Hepa filter/ N95;
 INFECTION CONTROL

C-Contact Precaution
- reduce risk of transmitting infectious agents by director indirect contact;
-e.g. Wounds, drains, ad secretions; conjunctivitis; MRSA; CDAD;
- wear MASK, GOWN and GLOVES;
-must be 3 feet away
D- Droplet Precaution
-Large particles of air;
-e.g Pneumonia; meningitis, diphtheria, rubella ;
-must “isolate” the patient
-wear MASK (surgical)
 INFECTION CONTROL
E-Enteric Precaution
-reduce transmission thru FECAL-ORAL ROUTE;
-e.g Salmonellosis(egg products); typhoid fever; Hepatitis A;
-handwashing ad proper food handling and preparation
-wear GLOVES and GOWN
F- Protective or Reverse Isolation
-Protect the patient under reverse isolation
- Neutropenic patients or immunocompromised host:
a. burn
b. Cancer chemotherapy
c. Anti-rejection medications
d. Chronic Steroid users
GENERAL NURSING CARE IN COMMUNICABLE
DISEASE
 Preventive Aspect
a. Health Education
b. Immunization
c. Proper supervision of food handlers
d. Environmental Sanitation
 Control Aspect
a. Isolation
b. Quarantine
c. Disinfection
d. Disinfestation
e. Fumigation
f. Practice of aseptic technique