Canadian Medical Guide > Diseases > Bacterial Infections and Mycoses > Infection Terms and Definitions
Infection
Medical Definition: | Invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues, which may be clinically inapparent or result in local cellular injury. A local infection may persist and spread by extension to become an acute, subacute, or chronic clinical infection or disease state. It may also become systemic when the microorganisms gain access to the lymphatic or vascular system. (From Dorland, 27th ed) |
Guide Notes: | GEN only as concept of dis caused by organisms; many texts saying "infection" & many saying "sepsis" mean BACTERIAL INFECTIONS: check text but note that SEPSIS is available; "infectious disease" can be INFECTION but is more likely COMMUNICABLE DISEASES; p |
Also Called: | Infections, Reproductive Tract |
Aneurysm, Infected - Aneurysm due to growth of microorganisms in the arterial wall, or infection arising within preexisting arteriosclerotic aneurysms. | |
Arthritis, Infectious - Arthritis caused by bacteria, rickettsiae, mycoplasmas, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Bacterial arthritis is frequently caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Viral arthritis is less common than bacterial arthritis and may be a manifestation of such viral diseases as mumps, rubella, hepatitis, etc. | |
Bone Diseases, Infectious - Bone diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms. | |
Communicable Diseases | |
Community-Acquired Infections - Any infection acquired in the community, that is, contrasted with those acquired in a health care facility (CROSS INFECTION). An infection would be classified as community-acquired if the patient had not recently been in a health care facility or been in contact with someone who had been recently in a health care facility. | |
Cross Infection - Any infection which a patient contracts in a health-care institution. | |
Eye Infections - Infection, moderate to severe, caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses, which occurs either on the external surface of the eye or intraocularly with probable inflammation, visual impairment, or blindness. | |
Focal Infection | |
Laboratory Infection - Accidentally acquired infection in laboratory workers. | |
Ludwig's Angina - Severe cellulitis of the submaxillary space with secondary involvement of the sublingual and submental space. It usually results from infection in the lower molar area or from a penetrating injury to the mouth floor. (From Dorland, 27th ed) | |
Opportunistic Infections - An infection caused by an organism which becomes pathogenic under certain conditions, e.g., during immunosuppression. | |
Pelvic Infection - Infection involving the tissues or organs in the PELVIS. | |
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - Infections occurring during the course of pregnancy, or pregnancy during the course of an infectious disease. | |
Prosthesis-Related Infections - Infections resulting from the implantation of prosthetic devices. The infections may be acquired from intraoperative contamination (early) or hematogenously acquired from other sites (late). | |
Reiter Disease - A triad of nongonococcal urethritis followed by conjunctivitis and arthritis, of unknown etiology. | |
Respiratory Tract Infections | |
Sepsis - The presence of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins in tissues or in the blood. Systemic disease caused by the spread of the microorganisms via the circulating blood is commonly called SEPTICEMIA. (From Stedman, 25th ed) | |
Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Diseases due to or propagated by sexual contact. | |
Skin Diseases, Infectious - Skin diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, parasites, or viruses. | |
Soft Tissue Infections - Infections of non-skeletal tissue, i.e., exclusive of bone, ligaments, cartilage, and fibrous tissue. The concept is usually referred to as skin and soft tissue infections and usually subcutaneous and muscle tissue are involved. The predisposing factors in anaerobic infections are trauma, ischemia, and surgery. The organisms often derive from the fecal or oral flora, particularly in wounds associated with intestinal surgery, decubitus ulcer, and human bites. (From Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 19th ed, p1688) | |
Suppuration - A pathologic process consisting in the formation of pus. | |
Toxemia - A generalized intoxication produced by toxins and other substances elaborated by an infectious agent. | |
Urinary Tract Infections - Infections affecting those structures of the body which participate in the secretion and elimination of urine, i.e., the kidney, the ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra. | |
Wound Infection - Invasion of the site of trauma by pathogenic microorganisms. |
Infection Medical Definitions and Terms
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