The infection control nurse is reviewing data for the medical-surgical unit.The nurse notices a spike in postoperative infections on this unit and categorizes this type of health care-associated infection as which infections?

A) Iatrogenic.
B) Exogenous.
C) Endogenous.
D) Nosocomial.

An exogenous organism is one that is present outside the patient.A postoperative infection is an exogenous infection because the organism that has caused the infection originates from outside the body.An example is Staphylococcus aureus.An endogenous organism is part of the normal flora of residing virulent organisms that could cause infection.An endogenous infection can occur when part of the patient's flora becomes altered,and overgrowth results.Iatrogenic infection results from a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure such as a colonoscopy.Nosocomial infection is the term formerly used for health care-acquired infection.