transient flora

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Related to transient flora: resident flora

transient flora

Microbes inhabiting a body surface or cavity for a brief period of time, usually as a result of their promotion and selection by antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy, hospitalization, illness, or surgery.

See also: flora

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References in periodicals archive ?

The purpose of surgical hand anti sepsis is to eliminate transient flora and reduce resident flora for the duration of a procedure to prevent introduction of organisms in the operative wound if gloves become punctured or torn.

The first step in infection control is hand hygiene: clean hands are more than a matter of soap and water

In relation to the surgical hand antisepsis, the aim is to both reduce the number of resident and transient flora to a minimum but also to inhibit their regrowth for as long as possible, not just on the hands but also on the wrists and forearms (AfPP 2007).

Hand washing and surgical hand antisepsis

Skin flora contains resident and transient flora. Resident flora refers to colonizing microorganisms not readily removed through the mechanical friction associated with hand washing.

Comparing hand washing to hand sanitizers in reducing elementary school students' absenteeism

Hand hygiene decreases colonization with transient flora and can be achieved either through handwashing or hand disinfection.

Handwashing: doing it right; adapted from Hand Hygiene Practices, a publication of DebMed, manufacturer of skin care products, with permission. (Cover Features)