BTS CPI key terms

An organized, facility-wide set of structures, policies, and activities designed to prevent healthcare-associated infections, typically including surveillance, isolation practices, education, and reporting to leadership and public health authorities.

The professional responsible for day-to-day operation of an IPC program, including surveillance, investigation, policy development, education, and consultation with clinical staff and leadership on infection risk reduction.

An infection a patient acquires while receiving care in a healthcare setting that was not present or incubating at the time of admission, including device- and procedure-related infections and multidrug-resistant organism acquisition.

Baseline infection control practices applied to all patients regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, use of gloves and other personal protective equipment as indicated, safe injection practices, and safe handling of contaminated equipment and linens.

Additional precautions used in addition to standard precautions for patients with known or suspected pathogens spread by contact, droplet, or airborne routes, requiring specific barriers, room placement, and visitor guidance.

A single-patient room engineered with negative pressure relative to surrounding areas, monitored airflow, and frequent air exchanges to contain pathogens spread by the airborne route, such as tuberculosis or measles.

A tight-fitting particulate filtering facepiece that removes at least 95 percent of airborne particles when properly fitted, requiring fit testing and user seal checks for healthcare personnel exposed to airborne hazards.

Barriers worn by healthcare personnel to prevent exposure to infectious agents, including gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, eye protection, and face shields, selected according to anticipated exposure and route of transmission.

Cleaning the hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub at defined moments of patient care, the single most effective measure for reducing transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings.

An alcohol-containing preparation applied to hands without water to rapidly reduce microbial counts, preferred for routine hand hygiene when hands are not visibly soiled and ineffective against bacterial spores.

A dormant, highly resistant form of certain bacteria that survives drying, heat, and many disinfectants and germicides, enabling persistence on surfaces and environmental transmission, notably by Clostridioides difficile.

A model describing the six linked elements required for transmission: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host, each a potential target for intervention.

The route by which an infectious agent moves from reservoir or source to a susceptible host, commonly contact, droplet, airborne, vector-borne, or common vehicle such as contaminated equipment or medication.

The presence and multiplication of microorganisms on or in a host without tissue invasion or clinical signs of illness, an important reservoir for transmission and a common precursor to healthcare-associated infection.

A microorganism resistant to multiple antimicrobial classes of clinical importance, such as MRSA, VRE, ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, or carbapenem-resistant organisms, requiring enhanced prevention and stewardship strategies.

Colitis caused by toxin-producing Clostridioides difficile, typically after antibiotic exposure disrupts normal gut flora, spread by spores and controlled through contact precautions, handwashing, and sporicidal environmental cleaning.

Practices used for pathogens spread by direct or indirect contact, including gloving, gowning, single rooms or cohorting when feasible, dedicated equipment, and cleaning of shared items between patients.

A primary bloodstream infection occurring in a patient with a central venous catheter that is not related to another infection site, prevented through insertion bundles, site care, and prompt removal of unnecessary catheters.

A small set of evidence-based practices performed together during central venous catheter insertion, such as hand hygiene, maximal sterile barrier precautions, chlorhexidine skin antisepsis, optimal site selection, and daily review of need.

A urinary tract infection associated with an indwelling urinary catheter, prevented by avoiding unnecessary catheters, using aseptic insertion, maintaining closed drainage, and removing catheters as soon as possible.

Pneumonia developing in a patient receiving mechanical ventilation, reduced by head-of-bed elevation, sedation interruption, oral care, and other ventilator bundle practices that limit aspiration and colonization.

An infection occurring at or near a surgical incision within a defined postoperative period, classified as superficial incisional, deep incisional, or organ space, and prevented through appropriate prophylaxis and perioperative care.

Administration of an antimicrobial before surgery to prevent surgical site infection, timed so tissue concentrations are adequate at incision, with agent choice based on procedure and discontinuation typically within 24 hours.

A coordinated program of interventions promoting appropriate antimicrobial selection, dose, duration, and route to improve outcomes, reduce adverse effects, and limit the emergence of resistance in healthcare settings.

The ability of microorganisms to survive exposure to antimicrobial agents that would normally inhibit or kill them, driven by genetic mutation and horizontal gene transfer and accelerated by unnecessary or incomplete antimicrobial use.

The ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of infection-related data, with timely dissemination to those who need it, used to identify problems, target interventions, and measure prevention effectiveness.

A measure of infection frequency in a population at risk, calculated as the number of infections divided by the number of patients or device-days, usually expressed per 100 or 1,000 units.

A summary statistic comparing observed healthcare-associated infections to the number predicted from national baseline data, adjusted for risk factors; values below one indicate fewer infections than expected.

The number of device-days divided by the number of patient-days for a given device, indicating how intensively devices are used and helping interpret device-associated infection rates.

A voluntary national surveillance system used by healthcare facilities to report healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use data using standardized definitions, enabling benchmarking and public reporting.

A systematic process to detect, confirm, and control an excess of infections, including case definition, case finding, descriptive epidemiology, hypothesis generation, analytic studies, and implementation of control measures.

A standard set of clinical, laboratory, and epidemiologic criteria used to classify individuals as having the condition under investigation, applied consistently for case finding and comparison.

The proportion of a population that develops illness during a defined period, calculated as new cases divided by the population at risk, commonly used to compare exposed and unexposed groups in outbreaks.

Physical removal of soil, organic material, and many microorganisms from surfaces or equipment, a necessary step before disinfection or sterilization because residual soil reduces the effectiveness of germicides.

Use of chemical or physical agents to eliminate most or all pathogenic microorganisms on inanimate objects, except bacterial spores, with effectiveness categorized as low, intermediate, or high level.

A process that destroys all microorganisms except high numbers of bacterial spores, used for semicritical items such as endoscopes that contact mucous membranes or nonintact skin.

A validated physical or chemical process that destroys all microbial life, including bacterial spores, on critical items such as surgical instruments that enter sterile tissue or the vascular system.

A percutaneous, mucous membrane, or nonintact skin contact with blood or other potentially infectious material, requiring immediate washing, reporting, source evaluation, and postexposure prophylaxis assessment.

Antiviral or other treatment given after a significant exposure to reduce the risk of acquiring infection, most notably antiretroviral therapy after HIV exposure and vaccination or immunoglobulin after hepatitis B exposure.

A United States regulation requiring employers to implement exposure control plans, universal precautions, engineering controls, hepatitis B vaccination, training, and postexposure evaluation for workers with occupational blood exposure risk.

A bloodborne virus transmitted through percutaneous and mucosal exposure to infectious blood or body fluids, preventable by vaccination and a major occupational hazard for healthcare personnel.

A bloodborne retrovirus transmitted through sexual contact, blood exposure, or perinatal routes that attacks immune cells; occupational exposure risk is reduced by rapid antiretroviral postexposure prophylaxis.

An infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spread by airborne droplet nuclei, requiring airborne precautions for suspected or confirmed infectious pulmonary disease and screening programs for healthcare personnel.

A qualitative or quantitative procedure verifying that a specific respirator model and size forms an adequate seal on an individual wearer, required before use and periodically thereafter.

An antiseptic with persistent antimicrobial activity used for skin antisepsis before invasive procedures and for patient bathing to reduce colonization and bloodstream infection risk.

Application of a germicide to living tissue, such as skin or mucous membranes, to reduce microbial flora and prevent infection, distinct from disinfection of inanimate objects.

Adherence to laws, regulations, and accreditation standards governing infection prevention, such as conditions of participation, reporting requirements, and required policies, verified through surveys and audits.

A structured, data-driven approach to closing gaps between current and desired performance, using methods such as plan-do-study-act cycles, root cause analysis, and process measures to sustain infection prevention gains.