Antibiosis: The biological relationship between two organisms in which one living organism kills another to ensure its existence.

Antimicrobial resistance: The process that occurs when bacteria, fungi, and parasites (microorganisms) change over time and no longer respond to antimicrobial medications. This resistance makes it more difficult to treat infections and increases the risk of spreading diseases that result in severe illness and death.

Antimicrobial stewardship plan: An antimicrobial stewardship plan should seek to prevent wound infection in the first place and should promote ideal antibiotic use in clinically infected patients while also preventing use of antibiotics in non-infected patients.

Dialkylcarbamoyl chloride: Dialkylcarbamoyl chloride is used in advanced wound dressings. It irreversibly binds bacteria that exhibit a high cell surface hydrophobicity. The bacteria are then removed with the dressing to control bioburden.

Hydrogel dressings: Hydrogel dressings consist of 90% water in a gel base. They may be derived from natural polymers and have broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. Hydrogel dressings also promote a moist healing environment and support cellular proliferation and migration.

Hypochlorous acid: A chlorine-based antiseptic agent that has strong oxidative properties that lead to microbial amino acid phospholipid degradation and hydrolysis. It has low cytotoxicity unless it is used in high concentrations.

Hypotonic: The state of having lower osmotic pressure than a particular fluid, typically a body fluid or intracellular fluid.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): MRSA is one of the most common antibiotic-resistant bacteria and often causes hospital-acquired infections. Symptoms begin as small red bumps on the skin that can become pus-filled abscesses or boils.

Remanence: The magnetic flux density remaining in a material after removal of the magnetic field. Several antiseptic wound cleansing agents have this property.

Silver nanoparticles: Silver nanoparticles can be added to dressings. These particles are undetectable by the human eye. Silver is an effective bactericide.