ECTSI 13th Edition Vocab - Chapter 15 - Medical Overview

Communicable Disease

A disease that can be spread from one person or species to another.

Epidemic

A disease outbreak in which new cases of a disease in a human population substantially exceed the number expected based on recent experience.

Herpes Simplex

A common virus that is asymptomatic in 80% of people carrying it, but characterized by small blisters on the lips or genitals in symptomatic infections.

Index of Suspicion

Awareness that unseen life-threatening injuries or illness may exist.

Infectious Disease

A medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body.

Influenza

A disease caused by a virus that has crossed the animal-human barrier and infected humans and that kills thousands of people every year.

Medical Emergencies

Emergencies that are caused by disease (illnesses or conditions) rather than a physical force acting on the body (ie, trauma).

Meningitis

An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord; usually caused by a virus or a bacterium.

Meningococcal Meningitis

An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord; can be highly contagious.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

A disease caused by a bacterium that can cause infections in different parts of the body and is often resistant to commonly used antibiotics. It is transmitted by different routes, including the respiratory route, and can be found on the skin, in surgical wounds, or in the bloodstream, lungs, or urinary tract.

Nature of Illness (NOI)

The general type of illness a patient is experiencing.

Pandemic

A disease outbreak that occurs on a global scale.

Pertussis

A highly contagious bacterial disease that causes episodes of uncontrolled coughing followed by prolonged inspiration often accompanied by a "whoop" sound; also called whooping cough.

Petechiae

Small, flat, purple-red blotches on the skin that do not blanch when pressure is applied; may be seen in individuals with meningococcal infection.

Trauma Emergencies

Emergencies that are the result of physical forces applied to the body; injuries.

Tuberculosis

A chronic bacterial disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that usually affects the lungs but can also affect other organs such as the brain and kidneys; it is spread by cough and can lie dormant in a person's lungs for decades and then reactivate.

Virulence

The strength or ability of a pathogen to produce disease.