rad 111 pathology unit 1

signs

• - measurable or objective manifestations of the disease process

symptoms

• - the experiences that the patient feels/describes

asymptomatic

showing no evidence of disease

iatrogenic

• - symptoms that are caused by physicians and their treatment

diagnosis

• - the precise disease process affecting the patient

etiology

• - the process of discovering the underlying cause of a disease

idiopathic

• - a disease which has an unknown underlying cause

prognosis

• - describes the expected patient outcome

syndrome

• - a condition characterized by a group of signs, symptoms, and disease processes

nosocomical

• - incidences of the development of infections at an acute care facility

• - cause: exposure to pathogens

community acquired

• - infections that develop outside the healthcare facility

• - found: anywhere outside, and typically involves the lungs

• - causes: bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc

inflammation

• - the initial response of body tissues to local injury

• - found: any tissue/organ

• - causes: infection, trauma, autoimmune disease, etc

• - radiographic appearance: swelling, increased tissue density, fluid collection

edema

• - the accumulation of abnormal amounts of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces/body cavities

• - found: can occur throughout the body, ex: pulmonary edema

• - causes: heart failure, kidney disease, inflammation, etc

ischemia

• - an interference with the blood supply to an organ or part of an organ, depriving the organ/cells/tissues of oxygen and nutrients

• - found: any organ, especially the heart/brain

• - causes: usually narrowing/blockage of an artery

• - radiographic appearance: usually not visible on plain radiographs

infarct

• - a localized area of ischemic necrosis within a tissue or organ produced by occlusion of either its arterial supply or venous drainage

• - found: commonly the heart, brain, lungs

• - causes: usually a blockage of blood vessels

hemorrhage

• - a rupture of a blood vessel

• - found: anywhere on body

• - causes: trauma, aneurysm, surgery, etc

• - radiographic appearance: depends. may also appear hyperdense

hematoma

• - blood trapped within body tissues resulting in an accumulation

• - found: can occur anywhere, commonly in soft tissues

• - causes: trauma, surgery, etc

• - radiographic appearance: varies. commonly shows up brightly (hyperdense)

atrophy

• - reduction in size or number of cells in an organ/tissue with a corresponding decrease in function

• - found: muscles, bones, organs, etc

• - causes: disuse, aging, lack of blood supply, etc

• - radiographic appearance: decreased muscle or organ size

hypertrophy

• - increase in size of cells of a tissue/organ in response to a demand for increased function

• - causes: increased workload, chronic stress, etc

• - radiographic appearance: enlargement of structure

benign

• - growth that closely resembles the cells of origin in structure and function

• - found: any organ or tissue

• - causes: abnormal cell growth

• - radiographic appearance: well defined, smooth, and circumscribed

malignant

• - neoplastic growth that invades and destroys adjacent structures

• - found: any tissue/organ

• - causes: genetic mutations

• - radiographic appearance: can be irregular or poorly defined mass

metastasize

• - malignant neoplasms that travel to distance sites

• - found: common sites are bones, lungs, liver

• - causes: spread of cancer cells through blood/lymph system

morbidity

• - rate that an illness/abnormality occurs

mortality

• - reflects the number of deaths by disease per population

hereditary disease

• - disease that passes through generations through genetic information

anaphylactic

• - severe, rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction affecting multiple body systems

• - found: airway, lungs, cardiovascular system, skin, GI tract

• - causes: foods, insect stings, latex, etc

• - radiographic appearance: airway swelling may be visible on neck radiographs

standard precautions

• - basic infection control practices used with all patients

• - ex: hand hygiene, appropriate PPE, proper cleaning

transmission based precautions

• - additional infection control when a patient is known/suspected to have an infectious disease

• - can spread through indirect/direct contact, droplets, or airborne