[Table of Contents]

Canada Communicable Disease Report - Supplement
Volume: 23S8
December 1997

INFECTION CONTROL GUIDELINES

Preventing Infections Associated with Indwelling Intravascular Access Devices

APPENDIX III

Glossary of Terms Antibiotic: A chemical substance that is produced by microorganisms and has the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of other microorganisms.

Antimicrobial: Substances that kill or inhibit the growth of microbes.

Antiseptic: Substance intended for application on living tissue to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

Attack rate: The proportion of the population at risk who ever experience a specific event. This is useful only when the risk is not time-dependent (e.g., surgical site infections; transfusion-related infections).

Benchmarking: Comparison of one's own performance measurements to those of other "best in class" organizations.

Bioload: Number and type of microorganisms present.

Cumulative incidence: Proportion of a group of people at risk who experience a health-related event during a specified interval of time; the amount of time at risk should be the same for every member of the group. Cumulative incidence is calculated from incidence density or estimated as an attack rate.

Disinfectant: Substance intended for application on inanimate surfaces to kill or inhibit growth of microorganisms.

Extrinsic fluid contamination: Contamination of intravascular therapy fluids from sources subsequent to the point of manufacture.

Incidence density: The number of new cases that occur per unit of population-time at risk (e.g., infections per 1,000 catheter-days).

Insertion (exit) site: Site where the intravascular device (cannula) enters (exits) the cutaneous surface.

Intrinsic fluid contamination: Contamination of intravascular therapy fluids at the point of manufacture.

Midline catheters: Shortened PICC lines that do not reach the superior vena cava (often prefabricated 15 cm length).

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC): Central lines that are inserted into a peripheral vein (rather than into the subclavian or jugular) and are advanced into the superior vena cava.

Transducer: Device that transforms energy from one form (e.g., arterial pressure) into another (e.g., electrical energy) (Figure 2).

Transparent semipermeable dressing: A dressing consisting of a transparent polyurethane adhesive that is semipermeable to oxygen transmission and moisture vapour evaporation from the skin. Substantial differences exist between different transparent semipermeable polyurethane dressings with respect to their permeability, leading to the terms "conventional" and "high permeability" to designate membranes of low and high permeability.

Figure 2
Components of pressure monitoring system

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