nonsocial infection

6.9

An infection caught in a hospital or clinic that was not there before you arrived

noun
/ˈnɒnˌsoʊʃəl ɪnˈfɛkʃən/

Specialized

: infección nosocomial

Several patients developed a nonsocial infection while recovering from surgery.

Examples

Protocols are in place to limit nonsocial infections in intensive care units.
Proper hand hygiene can reduce the risk of nonsocial infection during hospital stays.
A nonsocial infection can be a serious health concern.
Hospitals must prevent nonsocial infections to protect patients.
Several patients developed a nonsocial infection while recovering from surgery.
Protocols are in place to limit nonsocial infections in intensive care units.
Proper hand hygiene can reduce the risk of nonsocial infection during hospital stays.

Synonyms

cross infection

vsnonsocial infection

5.4

An infection a patient gets in a hospital from another person or things there

is acquired in a care setting after admission regardless of source

Surface Forms

nonsocial infection singular

nonsocial infections plural

Morphology

nonsocial + infection

The constituent 'nonsocial' is not a standard dictionary item, and a learner knowing 'non-' + 'social' would expect a meaning like 'not social' or 'not transmitted socially', not 'acquired in a hospital'. The specific medical sense 'hospital-acquired infection' is specialized and not compositional from the visible parts, so a B1 learner would not be able to derive the intended meaning.

Etymology

Nonsocial infection, built from non and social, creates the image of a patient picking up germs while lying in a hospital—from equipment, surfaces, or medical care—rather than from friends or visitors. So it means 'an infection caught in a hospital or clinic and not brought in by the patient'.