Glossary
The area of infection control and infection management uses a lot of abbreviations and technical terms. We have collected them together in a convenient place for reference.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| AHUs | Air-Handling Units |
| CA-MRSA | Community-associated MRSA |
| C. difficile | Clostridium difficile (bacterium): one of the so-called "hospital superbugs" |
| E. coli | Escherischia coli (bacterium): a common food-poisoning organism |
| ESBL | Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ß-lactamase), enzymes that have developed a resistance to antibiotics like penicillin. ESBL enzymes are most commonly produced by two bacteria - Escherischia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae |
| Group A | One of the categories of Streptococcus. The group A Streptococcus bacterium (Streptococcus pyogenes, or GAS) is a form of Β-haemolytic Streptococcus bacterium responsible for most cases of streptococcal illness |
| H1N1 | The strain of influenza responsible for "swine flu" |
| HAI | Hospital-acquired infection (also called nosocomial infection) |
| HA-MRSA | Hospital-Associated MRSA |
| HCAI | Healthcare Associated Infections |
| HUS | Haemolytic-Uraemic Syndrome |
| HVAC | Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning |
| IAQ | Indoor Air Quality |
| IML | Infection Management Ltd: a company supplying UVGI equipment in the UK and Europe |
| MRSA | Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (bacterium): one of the so-called "hospital superbugs" |
| MRSP | Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (bacterium present in domestic animals) |
| MSSA | Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (bacterium): one of the so-called "hospital superbugs" |
| NDM-1 | New Delhi Metallo-1 - one of the strains of Enterobacteriaceae that are starting to be found in UK hospitals and patients, especially in people returning from surgery in Asia. Derived from the enzyme 'New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamose', which can give resistance to "last resort" carbepenem antibiotics |
| PCT | Primary Care Trust |
| PVL | Panton Valentine leukocidin. PVL is a toxin produced by the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium (the same family as MRSA) that destroys white blood cells |
| SARS | Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, an infectious disease caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), epidemic in late 2002 and 2003 |
| SBS | Sick Building Syndrome: where the occupants of a building experience poor health and/or discomfort that appear to be linked to time spent in the building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified |
| UV-A | Ultraviolet-A: long wave UV radiation |
| UV-B | Ultraviolet-B: medium wave UV radiation |
| UV-C | Ultraviolet-C: short wave UV radiation; used for UVGI |
| UVGI | Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation: a method used to remove pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms from air and surfaces |
| UV-V | Ultraviolet-V: very short wave UV, producing ozone |
| VOCs | Volatile Organic Compounds: air pollutants derived from industrial processes, cleaning, furnishings etc. Thought to be a contributing factor to sick building syndrome |
| VRE | Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (bacterium): one of the so-called "hospital superbugs" |
Our infection control products and solutions provide non-chemical antimicrobial disinfection to help reduce the incidence and costs associated with infections.
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Please select from our list of solutions to see how we can help you.