Glossary of Terms
An antiseptic is intended for application to skin (intact and non-intact) and mucus membrane to prevent the transmission of transient or resident skin bacteria.
The removal, usually with detergent and water, of adherent visible soil, blood, protein substances, microorganisms, and other debris from the surfaces, instruments, devices, and equipment, by a manual or mechanical process that prepares the items for safe handling and/or further decontamination, i.e. before using heat or chemicals, disinfection or sterilisation.
Exposure-prone procedures (EPPs) include procedures where the worker's gloved hands may be in contact with sharp instruments, needle tips or sharp tissues inside a patient's open body cavity, wound or confined anatomical space, where the hands or fingertips may not be completely visible at all times. However, other situations, such as pre-hospital trauma care, should be avoided by HCWs restricted from performing EPPs, as they could also result in the exposure of the patient's open tissues to the blood of the worker. The definition of EPPs given above embraces a wide range of procedures in which there may be very different levels of risk of bleed-back. A risk-based categorisation of clinical procedures has been developed, including procedures where there is negligible risk of bleed-back (non-EPP) and three categories of EPPs with increasing risk of bleedback. Please refer to the definitions and examples of three categories of EPPs in Emergency Healthcare Workers, Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs) and the Exposure Prone Environment. Public Health England, London: 2017. |
Anyone primarily engaged in actions with the primary intent of enhancing health. Care workers include people who provide direct personal care services in the home, in a healthcare or residential setting, assisting with routine tasks of daily life and performing other tasks of a simple and routine nature. This term comprises healthcare assistants and institution-based personal care workers who provide direct personal care and assistance with activities of daily living to patients and residents in various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and residential nursing-care facilities. They generally implement established care plans and practices under the direct supervision of medical, nursing or other health professionals or associate professionals. This document uses the phrase “health and care workers” to represent both health and care workers.
The ratio of the number of new cases of infection or disease in a defined population, in a given period, to the number of individuals at risk in the population.
Special type of closely fitted face cover with the capacity to filter particles to protect the wearer against inhaling infectious respiratory particles (e.g. tuberculosis). The FFP3 respirator has a filter efficiency level of 99%.
The development of antibodies not previously present, resulting from primary infection.
The preliminary assessment of a patient's medical condition in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment.