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Glossary of Clinical Terms
Alcohol-based hand rinse: a waterless antiseptic designed for application to the hands to reduce the number of viable micro-organisms. In Canada, such preparations usually contain 70 percent ethyl alcohol.
Antiseptic: a substance that destroys or stops the growth of micro-organisms on living tissue (for example, skin).
Blood-borne pathogens (BBPs): viruses found in blood which produce infection, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Carrier: an individual who is found to be colonized
(culture-positive) for a particular organism, at one
or more body sites, but has no signs or symptoms of infection.
Disinfectant: a chemical agent with a drug identification number (DIN) used on inanimate (non-living) objects to kill micro-organisms.
Disinfection: a process that destroys or kills some, but not all, disease-producing micro-organisms on an object or surface.
Exposed: a circumstance of being in contact with an infected person or item in a manner that may allow for the transfer of micro-organisms, either directly or indirectly, to another person.
Germicide: an agent that destroys micro-organisms, especially pathogenic organisms. A product with
the suffix “-cide” indicates that it is an agent that destroys the micro-organism identified by the
prefix (for example, virucide, fungicide, bactericide). Germicides may be used to inactivate micro- organisms in or on living tissue (antiseptic) or on environmental surfaces (disinfectants).
Hand hygiene: a general term that applies to handwashing, antiseptic handwash, antiseptic hand rub (for example, alcohol-based hand rinse) or surgical hand antisepsis.
Isolation: the physical separation of infected individuals from uninfected individuals for the period of communicability of a particular disease.
Micro-organism: microscopic organisms such as bacteria, virus or fungus, commonly known as germs, that can cause an infection in humans.
Mucous membrane: thin sheets of tissue that line various openings of the body, such as the mouth, nose, eyes and genitals.
Nosocomial infection: infection acquired in a health care setting.
Personal protective equipment (PPE): specialized clothing or equipment (for example, gloves, masks, protective eyewear, gowns) worn by an employee
for protection against an infectious hazard. General work clothes (for example, uniforms, pants, shirts or blouses) are not intended to function as protection against a hazard and are not considered personal protective equipment.
Precautions: interventions implemented to reduce the risk of transmitting micro-organisms from client to client, client to health care worker, and
health care worker to client. Precautions can include gloves, masks, eye protection, gowns and client accommodations. (For more information, refer to
the Health Canada publication Infection Control
Guidance in a Non-Outbreak Setting.)