Jargon buster
Acute Symptoms - Severe / serious signs of illness.
Antibiotics - Drugs that are used to combat illnesses caused by micro-organisms, usually bacteria or fungi. Some commonly used antibiotics are amoxicillin, streptomycin and erythromycin.
Antibacterial - Destroys or inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Antimicrobial - Destroys or inhibits the growth of microorganisms; these can be bacteria, viruses or fungi.
Catheter - A catheter is a thin, hollow tube usually made of rubber that is placed into the bladder to inject or remove fluid.
Colon - Part of the large intestine in the body's digestive system.
Colonise - A number (group) of germs thriving and multiplying in one area.
Dehydration - The extreme loss, or lack, of water and essential minerals from the body.
Diarrhoea - The passing of frequent watery stools when you go to the toilet.
Dormant - Inactive.
Drip - A way to pass fluid or blood into your bloodstream, through a plastic tube and needle that goes into one of your arteries or veins.
Drug resistant - Describes a germ that is not affected or killed by a drug or medicine that is used to fight it.
Fever - A fever is when you have a high body temperature (over 38°C or 100.4°F).
Germs - See Pathogens and Microbes.
Immune system - Your body's natural defence system, fights germs.
Intravenous drip - A method of administering blood, drugs or fluids very quickly into the bloodstream through a vein. See Drip.
Medical devices - See Catheter and Intravenous Drip.
Microbes - A minute life form; this includes bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Nausea - When you feel as if you want to vomit.
Organism - A general term for any living thing, from humans to bacteria.
Pathogen(s) - A disease-causing microorganism or material. Can be used to describe a germ(s), generally any harmful viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
Pneumonia - Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection.
Respiratory - Affecting the lungs and airways.
Semi-closed environments - Places like hospitals, care homes, nursing homes, medical centres, gyms, schools and barracks.
Spores - Produced by bacteria, fungi, algae and some plants, they are small, very hardy and can survive extremes of temperature, drought and lack of nutrients. They can be dormant but still capable of growing into a new organism.
Sputum - A type of mucus brought up from the lungs when you cough.
Strain - A particular type of something.
Superbug(s) - Germs that have become resistant to the antibiotics used to kill them.
Symptoms - The physical signs of illness, such as fevers, pains, coughs, rashes etc.
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