Title: Define the chain of infection.
Course: Sterile Processing Technician I > Section: Understanding Principles of Asepsis

Definition should include the following and describe how to break the chain of infection:

- Infectious agent—any microorganism that can cause a disease (e.g., bacteria, virus, parasite, fungus)
- Reservoir—where the organism lives, thrives, and reproduces
- Portal of exit—where the organism leaves the reservoir (e.g., respiratory tract, intestinal tract)
- Mode of transmission—the means by which an organism moves from one host to another
- Portal of entry—the opening where an infection enters the host’s body
- Susceptible host—a person who is at risk of infection

Process/Skill Questions:

- Whose role is it to break the chain of infection?
- What methods would be used to break the chain of infection?
- What patient populations are most at risk for infection?
- What personal protective equipment (PPE) should one wear to break the chain of infection?
- What are vectors and fomites?