| BACTEREMIA | The presence of bacteria in the blood. |
| CATHETER | A tubular, flexible, surgical instrument that is inserted into a cavity of the body to withdraw or introduce fluid. |
| GERM | A pathogenic micro organism. Microbes and bacteria are germs. |
| INVASIVE | Involving puncture or incision of the skin or insertion of an
instrument or foreign material into the body; said of diagnostic techniques. |
| NI | Nosocomial infection – Hospital-acquired infection or more generally infection associated to care. Many of these infections traditionnaly restrained to germs only found in hospitals can be now be caught in the community. |
| NOSOCOMIAL | Pertaining or originating in the hospital; said of an infection not present or incubating prior to admittance to the hospital, but generally occurring 72 hours after admittance; the term is usually used to refer to patient disease, but hospital personnel may also acquire nosocomial infections. |