(IC) Infection Classifications Lesson

Infection Classifications

Introduction

 Another way that infections are classified is by the way they are contracted -  There are 4 major classifications (some infections fall under more than one category at a time):

  1. Endogenous Diseases – Those that originate or begin from WITHIN the body. They are not contagious and cannot spread to others. Examples include metabolic disorders, congenital abnormalities, tumors, and infections caused by microorganisms already inside the body.
  2. Exogenous Diseases/conditions – Those that originate from outside the body such as contagious diseases caused by exposure to pathogens; radiation, exposure to poisons or chemicals, trauma, or electric shock.     
  3. Hospital Acquired Infection – Those infections that are acquired by an individual while they are in a healthcare facility that is unrelated to what they were originally admitted for such as a wound infection that happens in a surgical incision. These are normally transmitted by healthcare workers who do not take the proper standard precautions or do not use proper handwashing techniques. One major nosocomial infection is a Staph infection such as MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus).
  4. Opportunistic Infection – Those that occur when the body's defenses are weak.  They occur because the individual's immune system has been compromised and they cannot fight it off.  One example is pneumonia in AIDS patients because their immune systems cannot fight off the pathogen.

Please practice using the learning object below. 

Note: Answer Key available at the end for accessibility purposes.

 

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