Patient Care Technician (PCT) AAH Practice Exam

An infection that affects the entire body is __________.

1. Systemic

2. Local

3. Trauma

4. Edema

The correct answer is: Systemic

The term that describes an infection affecting the entire body is systemic. Systemic infections can spread through the bloodstream, affecting multiple organs and systems, leading to a more severe clinical presentation. Examples include sepsis, where the body has a widespread inflammatory response to an infection, and thus can involve various body systems. In contrast, a local infection is confined to a specific area of the body, such as a wound or an abscess, and does not spread throughout the body. Trauma refers to physical injury and is not a type of infection, while edema is a condition characterized by excess fluid accumulation in tissues, which may result from inflammation or other medical conditions, but it does not specifically refer to an infection. Therefore, the correct answer effectively conveys the concept of a widespread infection in the body.