What is the difference between cross contamination and contamination?

Answer 1

A contamination is the introduction of an undesired substance (chemical, microbiological or other) into a starting material, intermediate or finished product.

A cross contamination is the introduction of a starting material, intermediate or finished product into another starting material, intermediate or finished product

Answer 2

The basic difference between these two conditions lies in the concentration of organisms in the wound. An infected wound contains a larger number of microorganisms than a contaminated wound. According to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), stage 2, 3 and 4 pressure ulcers should all be considered as colonized with bacteria. Proper wound cleansing and debridement should prevent bacterial colonization from proceeding to the point of clinical infection. A contaminated wound will heal, an infected wound will not.