Staph Infection Glossary of Terms

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Acquired: Not inherited, or present at birth (congenital), but developing after birth. For...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Antibiotic resistance: The ability of bacteria and other microorganisms to resist the effe...

Bacteremia: The presence of live bacteria in the bloodstream. Bacteremia is analogous to ...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Biofilm: An aggregate of microbes with a distinct architecture. A biofilm is like a tiny c...

Blister: A collection of fluid underneath the top layer of skin (epidermis). There are man...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Boil: A skin abscess that forms at a hair follicle infected with pus-forming bacteria. The...

Bullae: More than one bulla, a bulla being a blister more than 5 mm (about 3/16 inch) in d...

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Cellulitis: A spreading bacterial infection underneath the skin surface characterized by r...

Coccus: A bacterial cell that has the shape of a sphere. Coccus is part of the name of a n...

Cuts: Severed skin. Washing a cut or scrape with soap and water and keeping it clean and d...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Endocarditis: an inflammation of one or more of the heart valves and lining tissues of the...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Folliculitis: An infection or inflammation of the hair follicles of the skin. Inflammation...

Food poisoning: A common flu-like illness typically characterized by nausea, vomiting and...

Furuncle: Nothing more nor less than a "boil" with a fancy name. A boil is a col...

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Gastrointestinal tract: The stomach and intestines. Abbreviated GI tract.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart valves: There are four heart valves. All are one-way valves. Blood entering the ...

Hemolytic: Referring to hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells which leads to the r...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Hygiene: The science of preventive medicine and the preservation of health. Also commonly ...

Hypotension: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individual in a ...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Impetigo: A skin infection caused by the staphylococcus or, less often, by the streptococc...

Incision: A cut through skin or other tissue performed by a health care professional.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

Methicillin: A semisynthetic penicillin-related antibiotic, also known as Staphcillin, tha...

MRSA infection: Frequently used abbreviation for: Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aur...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

NIH: National Institutes of Health.

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Osteomyelitis: Inflammation of the bone due to infection, for example, by the bacteria sal...

Pathogenic: Capable of causing disease. For example, pathogenic E. coli are Eschericia col...

Phagocytosis: The process by which a cell engulfs particles such as bacteria, other microo...

Pimple: An inflamed area of the skin with pus formation that results from an oil gland bei...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Poisoning: Taking a substance that is injurious to health or can cause death. Poisoning i...

Postoperative: After surgery. As opposed to preoperative, before surgery.

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Prosthetic: Referring to a prosthesis, an artificial substitute or replacement of a part o...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Pus: A thick, whitish-yellow fluid that results from the accumulation of white blood cells...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Sepsis: The presence of bacteria (bacteremia), other infectious organisms, or toxins creat...

Septic: Infected, or denoting infection. For example, septic shock is shock that is caused...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

Staph: Very commonly used shortened form of Staphylococcus, a very common and important gr...

Staph infection: A staph infection is an infection with a Staphylococcal bacteria.

Staphylococcus: A group of bacteria that cause a multitude of diseases. Under a microscope...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Toxic shock: See Toxic shock syndrome.

Toxic shock syndrome: A grave condition occurring predominantly in menstruating women usin...

Toxin: A poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria.

Viable: Capable of life. For example, a viable premature baby is one who is able to surviv...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...