exam 1- chapter 1 - essentials of pathophysiology

what is pathophysiology?

the study of disease, which includes the causes and risk factors that have led to the disease, as well as all the steps in the disease process

what does pathophysiology identify?

signs and symptoms of a disease that a person experiences until resolution, chronic disease, or until death

what is the etiology of a disease?

the precise cause; sometimes identifiable, sometimes not

what does idiopathic mean?

the cause of disease is unknown; unable to identify the exact moment the disease started or what happened that caused the disease to begin

idiopathic diseases # of risk factors:

range of risk factors, often considered multifactorial

examples of idiopathic diseases

cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and lupus

what are risk factors?

characteristics that are more likely to result in disease

what are the two types of risk factors?

modifiable and nonmodifiable

what is pathogenesis?

the beginning of a disease; includes the origination and progression of the disease

what does pathogenesis begin with in infectious diseases?

with exposure to the pathogen

what are the most common routes of transmission?

direct contact, airborne, and droplet

what are the categories of diseases?

acute, subacute, and chronic

define acute diseases

those that last a short time and resolve, usually within two weeks

define subacute diseases

acute diseases that do not resolve quickly but eventually do, usually lasting from two weeks to six months

define chronic diseases

last greater than 6 months, often lasting a lifetime

what are clinical manifestations?

signs and symptoms of a disease; a direct result of pathology

what are signs?

observable, measurable manifestations, which can be seen, heard, or felt by others

what are symptoms?

manifestations only recognized by the person experiencing them; considered subjective

what are complications?

unexpected, negative outcomes; can occur because of disease progression, procedure, or treatment

what are iatrogenic complications?

those that were a result of medical treatment, often referred to as a hospital acquired infection

what is mortality? what is mortality rate?

a potential complication of all diseases; the number of deaths in a population at a particular time

why are mortality rates important?

they can indicate the severity and impact of a disease

what is morbidity?

describes those who are living with but suffering or burdened by a disease

what is disability-adjusted life year (DALY)?

a time based measure that considers years of life lost due to premature death and time lived in states of less than full health; assesses overall burden of disease

what is diagnosis?

the identification and labeling of a disease through analysis of the signs, symptoms, physical assessment, laboratory tests, and diagnostic studies; helps guide treatment of disease

laboratory tests vs diagnostic tests

lab tests: blood or body fluid tests used to detect presence or absence of various cells or substances

diagnostic tests: those that support or confirm a diagnosis and can involve visualization through x-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, etc.

what is prognosis?

the forecast or likely outcome of a disease

what is disease management?

all measures used to eliminate the disease completely or to help the patient with reducing symptoms and improving quality of life

what are the five stages of disease?

underlying stage, susceptible stage, subclinical stage, clinical state, and final stage of recovery/disability/death

what are the preventative stages?

primordial prevention, primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention

what is primordial prevention?

• focused on all people, regardless of risk factors or susceptibility

• focuses on social and environmental conditions

• targets the underlying state of disease

• ex: banning smoking in public places, improving access to healthy food choices

what is primary prevention?

• aligns with susceptible stage of disease

• focuses on healthy individuals who are vulnerable to disease an promotes measures to eliminate noted risks

• ex: vaccination, exercise, eating well

what is secondary prevention?

• screening for early detection of disease before signs and symptoms have emerged in healthy-appearing individuals so that treatment can commence early in its pathogenesis

• ex: pap smear, mammogram, colonoscopy

what is tertiary prevention?

• focuses on the clinical and final stages of disease

• implemented to reduce the severity of a disease and reduce disease complications

• ex: medication therapy, radiation, rehabilitation, etc.

what is quaternary prevention?

• relates primarily to those with symptoms but without an identified disease

• reducing “overmedication” of patients, emphasizing on identifying patients who have symptoms and are at risk for invasive/harmful tests

what are two other types of therapies not discusses yet?

nutritional and medical/surgical therapies

what is WHO’s definition of health?

physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being and not merely the absence of illness

what is epidemiology?

the science of studying disease in populations; concerned with patterns of disease to determine risk factors, how diseases spread, and how well prevention or containment measures are reducing disease in populations

what do epidemiologists do?

they note when a disease is endemic, epidemic, or a pandemic

endemic vs epidemic vs pandemic

endemic: regularly found in a population

epidemic: widespread in a community at a particular time

pandemic: when the disease is found at higher rates globally

what is prevalence?

the number of people within a population who are afflicted with a disease at a given time; provides context for what diseases are most likely to occur

what is incidence?

the occurrence or frequency of a disease; provides a complete picture of the potential for getting a disease within a community