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• Biology of Infectious Disease
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Several measures help protect people against infection. Hand washing is an effective way of preventing the spread of infectious microorganisms from one person to another. Hand washing is particularly important for people who handle food or who have frequent physical contact with other people. People visiting hospital patients who are seriously ill may be asked to wash their hands and put on a gown, mask, and gloves before entering the patient's room.

Sometimes, to prevent an infection, antibiotics are given to people who do not yet have an infection. This preventive measure is called prophylaxis. Many healthy people who undergo certain types of surgery—particularly abdominal surgery and organ transplantation—require prophylactic antibiotics.

Spotlight on Aging Infections are more likely and usually more severe in older people than in younger people for several reasons: Aging reduces the immune system's effectiveness (see Biology of the Immune System: Effects of Aging on the Immune System). Many long-term (chronic) disorders that are common among older people—such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and diabetes mellitus—also increase the risk of infection. Older people are more likely to be in a hospital or a nursing home, where the risk of acquiring a serious infection is greater. In hospitals, the widespread use of antibiotics allows antibiotic-resistant organisms to thrive, and infections with these microorganisms are often more difficult to treat than infections acquired at home.

Vaccination can also prevent infections (see Immunization: Overview of Immunization). People who are at increased risk of developing infections (especially infants, children, older people, and people with AIDS) should receive all the vaccinations necessary to reduce this risk.

Last full review/revision October 2008 by Allan R. Tunkel, MD, PhD