ways to keep a community safe by checking risk factors for violence
home environment, past abuse, substance abusers in the home, parent-child connectedness, positive academics, involvement in purposeful activities
factors that trigger violence
unemployment, school conflict, media, religion, population characteristics
primary prevention for violence
advocating for policy change, building self-esteem, intervening early if risk factors are seen
secondary prevention for violence
careful physical exams, teaching appropriate parenting skills, teaching stress reduction techniques, teaching childcare skills, being involved with transitional shelters
tertiary prevention for violence
referrals to safe and anonymous housing, providing menu of options, reviewing plan of escape
homicide
public health issue b/c it is a major cause of death in the US; majority are carried out by someone the victim knew; CHNs are in a position to strengthen relationships among individuals and their families/communities
rape
considered a crime of violence; underreported due to fear of speaking out and not having anyone believe them; majority of cases are intimate partner violence; defining issue is lack of consent
lowering risk factors for violence
education about healthy conflict resolution, providing resources, support
characteristics of gangs
common name or symbol, clothing or skin markers, associated with violent acts that may become more deadly, average age is 17 to 18, half of youth gang members are 18 or older, tenure tends to be brief in 50-65% of cases, male teens predominate, nearly 40% of gangs report female
reasons youths join gangs
seek thrill and excitement; seek prestige, protection, or chance to make money; seek a belonging, love, structure, and discipline; seek recognition and power; seek companionship; seek acceptance; family tradition
risk factors for gangs
poverty, lack of support network including a stable home environment, media influence
protective factors for violence
build self-esteem and personal responsibility; curb impulsivity; teach alternative ways to cope; teach problem-solving skills; advocate for after-school programs and recreational activities; teach appropriate conflict resolution techniques
substance use disorder
condition in which one or more substances leads to clinically significant impairment or distress
normalizing substance abuse
not considered a disease of will - people do not intend to become alcoholics and/or addicts; not a sin or moral failing; relapse is a part of recovery; public health issue
stages of substance abuse disorders
experimental use, misuse, abuse, dependence, addiction
experimental use stage of substance abuse
curiosity; adolescents are most vulnerable to this stage
misuse stage of substance abuse
social context; often times it is planned out in advance when they will misuse substances in a social setting
abuse stage of substance abuse
seeking to affect the mood, perceptions, and thoughts
dependence stage of substance abuse
brain's neurons adapt to repeated use; avoid negative withdrawal symptoms; stage leads to addiction if not treated
addiction stage of substance abuse
loss of control when abstaining from use; disease of the brain
risk factors for substance abuse
substance abuse by a parent, physical or sexual abuse, smoking tobacco, family dysfunction/chaos, peer influence, age of onset of use, early persistent antisocial behavior, rebelliousness, academic failure, poverty, favorable attitudes to alcohol and drugs, mental health issues
primary prevention for substance abuse
focus on how to resist getting involved in substance abuse; education about drugs and guidelines for appropriate use; promotion of healthy lifestyles and alternatives to relieve stress; development of prevention programs focused on communities
secondary prevention for substance abuse
institute early detection programs in school and workplace; screen all patients over age of 12 for potential substance abuse problems; screen patients at every healthcare visit; conduct thorough/careful assessment of client’s use of tobacco, alcohol, and/or drugs; drug testing; awareness of high-risk groups (pregnant women, IV drug abusers, illicit drug users, adolescents, elderly, military)
tertiary prevention for substance abuse
develop programs to help people reduce or end their substance abuse; harm reduction; detoxification; addiction treatment; smoking cessation programs; support groups
high risk groups for substance abuse
adolescents and elderly
adolescents are a high risk group for substance abuse
earlier the onset, the increased risk of dependence; underage drinking common; common misused drugs - Vicodin, Oxycontin, Adderall, Ritalin, Valium, & Xanax
pharming
mixing a ton of prescription medications with alcohol at social events
elderly are a high risk group for substance abuse
prescribed 1/3 of all meds in the US; interactions between alcohol and meds; challenges of aging & coping; slower metabolic rates; effects of alcohol mimic degenerative brain disease such as dementia and is often overlooked; depression rates are higher which leads to substance use
Antabuse (disulfiram)
blocks an enzyme involved in metabolizing alcohol intake; produces unpleasant side effects when mixed with alcohol in the body (flushing, N/V, sweating, increased BP)
common products that contain small amounts of alcohol
aftershave, cologne, perfume, antiperspirant, mouthwash, antiseptic astringent skin products, hair dyes
harm reduction approaches for substance abuse
addiction is a health problem not a criminal problem; any psychoactive drug can be abuse; accurate information can help people make responsible decisions; people with addiction can be helped; promote safe needle exchange
role of CHN in substance abuse
seek root causes, plan realistic actions, provide non-judgmental, holistic, and positive care
fetal alcohol syndrome
low birth weight/failure to thrive, difficulty sleeping and sucking, small head, small jaw, short/turned-up nose, thin upper lip, smooth skin between nose and lip, flat cheeks, small eye openings, joint/limb irregularities, vision/hearing problems, simian crease, hyperactivity, short attention span, impulsivity, talkative, developmentally delayed, learning disabilities, mental retardation, low IQ
methamphetamine
very powerful type of amphetamine that can be smoked, injected, snorted, or swallowed; makes individuals alert, talkative, and twitchy
short-term effects of methamphetamine
causes dopamine release; increased HR, BP, RR; tremors; pupil dilation; increased sex drive; decreased fatigue and appetite
long-term effects of methamphetamine
paranoia; irritability; depression; confusion; poor memory; hallucinations & delusions; suicidal thoughts; weight loss; damaged blood vessels in brain with possible stroke; damaged brain cells; fatigue; seizures; hypothermia
symptoms of opioid withdrawal
craving, restlessness, muscle/bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, goosebumps, kicking movements
pharmacotherapy of opioid overdose
Naloxone (Narcan): displaces opiate from receptor and reverses overdose; quickly restores breathing of individual who overdosed; also uses Naltrexone, Methadone, and Buprenophrine
methadone
schedule II narcotic; long-acting (24 to 36 hrs); daily dose; effective at appropriate dose; used with behavioral therapies; decreases criminal behavior, HIV, mortality
buprenophrine
schedule III narcotic; dose qd or qod; requires physician waiver; minimal respiratory depression and effects on BP; lower toxicity at higher doses; lower dependence than full agonists; has mild withdrawal symptoms
epidemiology
the study of distribution and determinants of events in specific populations
descriptive epidemiology
distribution of the event is the particular pattern; the who, what, when, where, and why; tells the “story” of the event; description of the disease pattern should take into account the size of the population and the risk for developing the disease
analytical epidemiology
factors that influence the pattern or distribution; examples include length of exposure to a germ, characteristics of the germ, how the germ spread, etc.; “determinants” and “analytical epidemiology” = SAME THING
case definition
make it possible for reporting and monitoring of diseases in a uniform, standardized way; include clinical symptoms, lab values, and epidemiological data
risk
probability that an event will occur
example of no risk
population of men who will develop ovarian cancer
example of low risk
population of men who will develop breast cancer
example of high risk
population of substance abusers who will develop HIV
example of unknown risk
population of women unaware that their male sexual partners are not monogamous
probability
found by looking at the number of people at risk for exposure over a given time; # of cases = numerator & # of people at risk = denominator; tells how serious the disease is affecting the population; range is 0-1
rate
measure of the frequency of a health event in a defined population in a specific time period; # of events = numerator & # of people at risk & time = denominator; disease rates define how fast the disease is moving in the community; rates may exceed 1
incidence
the number of new cases in a population at risk during a specified time period; more accurate in terms of what is happening "right now"
prevalence
the measure of existing disease in a population at a particular time
attack rate
the number of people who develop the disease in proportion to the number of people who are exposed to that disease
case fatality rate
the proportion of people diagnosed with a disease who die within a certain time; need to be clear how many people died - cannot predict numbers
infant mortality rate
most sensitive health indicator in a community; infant deaths divided by number of live births in the population over a period of 1 year; number is multiplied by 1000 to make it statistically significant
agent
that which causes the disease/condition
host
the person or animal in which the agent resides
environment
the world around us; surroundings that sustain the host; cause reproduction
incubation period
a time interval between the invasion of the agent upon the host and the time of the first clinical sign/symptom; time agent enters host, replicates, and presents with the first symptom
communicable period
time during which the agent is able to transfer from one infected person to another non-infected person
endemic
constant presence of a disease within a geographic area or population
epidemic
occurrence of disease in excess of normal expectancy
pandemic
an epidemic that occurs worldwide, affecting large populations
screenings
type of secondary prevention effort; involves testing a group of people who are at risk but are asymptomatic; goal is early detection and treatment
validity
sensitivity (how accurate the test is for people with the disease) & specificity (how accurate the test is for people without the disease)
reliability
consistency, repeatability, accuracy
disease surveillance
process of gathering data for the story to be told; who got the disease, when they got it, what is the cause, where did they get it, and why they got it
active surveillance
interviewing clients in a community; gathering information first-hand; asking questions
passive surveillance
part of the law that states healthcare providers, veterinarians, and labs must report known cases of certain diseases to the Local Health Department to the State Health Department & then to the CDC
steps in an outbreak investigation
surveillance/detection of symptoms
develop a working case definition
case finding and case counting
describe cases according to time, place, person
ID the source and mode of transmission & susceptible populations
implement control measures
make recommendations about prevention and control
infectivity
ability of agent to enter a host and multiply
pathogenicity
ability of agent to produce a clinical reaction after infection occurs
virulence
ability of an agent to produce a severe pathologic reaction
toxicity
ability of agent to produce a poisonous reaction
invasiveness
ability of agent to penetrate and spread (snake bites, spider bites, hemolytic strep)
antigenicity
ability of agent to stimulate an immunologic reaction
tuberculosis
mycobacterial disease that is the 2nd leading cause of death world-wide; testing - Mantoux test (TST, PPD) and DOT/DOPT
pharmacologic treatment of TB
pyrazinamide, isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampin (remember PIER)
stages of HIV/AIDS
primary infection, clinical latency, symptomatic disease
emerging infectious diseases
infectious disease with incidence rates on the rise over the recent past; diseases that were thought to be gone but are resurging
agents of bioterrorism
used in terrorist acts and have a high mortality rate; disseminate in the population well and cause illness, panic, social disruption, and death
anthrax
an acute disease caused by a spore-forming bacterium; types - cutaneous, GI, and inhalation; huge threat to human population
small pox
high degree of susceptibility among humans and has a high case fatality rate; lesions are deep-ceded, fluid-filled vesicles; if able to be ruptured, they do not collapse; distribution of rash – face and extremities (mainly lower)
chicken pox
vesicles are fluid-filled and flatten quickly if ruptured; superficial lesions; distribution of rash – face and trunk A&P
food infection
bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection of food
food intoxication
caused by toxins, chemical contaminants, and naturally-occurring substances
vector-borne diseases
transmitted by a carrier or vector; usually an arthropod (mosquito, tick, or fly)
plague
vector-borne illness that is caused by a flea bite; leads to lymphadenitis, particularly in the inguinal nodes (bubonic plague named b/c of lymph nodes called buboes); high case fatality rate; can be aerosolized
stage 1 of lyme disease
bulls-eye skin lesion that begins as a red area surrounding tick attachment; spreads outwards; often goes unnoticed
stage 2 of lyme disease
bulls-eye rash is gone; persistent headache and neurological deficits; may have cardiac abnormalities
stage 3 of lyme disease
recurrent attacks of arthritis and arthralgia, especially in the knees
zoonoses
infections transmitted by a vertebrate; animal bites, inhalation, direct contact; rabies is common with this condition; bites or scratches; generally not transmitted human to human; example – tularemia (rabbit fever)
parasitic diseases
disease that depends on a host in order to survive (can be animal or human)
pinworm
common parasitic infection that occurs in children; children at greater risk b/c they are playing outside in the dirt/ground; fecal-oral transmission; flashlight & tape diagnosis; oral vermicides are used as treatment