Pathophysiology Final Exam Study Guide

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and complications of various genetic, cardiac, respiratory, renal, and endocrine disorders as discussed in the lecture notes.

Hemophilia A

An inherited bleeding disorder, usually X-linked recessive, caused by a deficiency or absence of clotting factor $VIII$.

Hemarthrosis

Bleeding into a joint space, characterized by pain, warmth, swelling, and reduced range of motion.

Dehydration Pathophysiology

Occurs when fluid loss exceeds intake, leading to decreased circulating blood volume, venous return, stroke volume, cardiac output, and tissue perfusion.

Calcium-Phosphate Relationship

These electrolytes often share an inverse relationship; increased $PTH$ raises blood calcium while encouraging phosphate excretion through the kidneys.

Respiratory Acidosis

A condition occurring when the lungs cannot remove enough carbon dioxide, resulting in a $pH$ below $7.35$ and a $PaCO_2$ above $45\,mm\,Hg$.

Artificial Active Immunity

Immunity produced when a person's own immune system generates antibodies and memory cells in response to a medical intervention, such as receiving a vaccine.

Negative Feedback System

A mechanism that keeps hormone levels within a normal range by turning production on when levels are low and off when levels are high, similar to a thermostat.

Acromegaly

A condition in adults caused by excess growth hormone after the growth plates have closed, usually due to a pituitary adenoma, leading to thickened bones and soft tissues.

Diabetes Insipidus (DI)

A condition where the kidneys release extremely large amounts of dilute urine because of a lack of $ADH$ (Central DI) or a failure of the kidneys to respond to $ADH$ (Nephrogenic DI).

Polyuria

Excessive urination caused by blood glucose becoming so high that it spills into the urine and pulls water with it through osmotic diuresis.

Polydipsia

Excessive thirst stimulated by dehydration and increased serum osmolality.

Polyphagia

Excessive hunger that occurs because cells behave as though they are starving when glucose cannot enter them without adequate insulin.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Nerve damage caused by chronic hyperglycemia that typically begins in the toes and feet and moves upward, often causing numbness, tingling, and sharp pain.

Graves Disease

An autoimmune form of hyperthyroidism where antibodies incorrectly stimulate $TSH$ receptors, leading to excessive production of $T_3$ and $T_4$ and a sped-up metabolism.

Hypoparathyroidism

A condition where too little $PTH$ leads to low calcium and high phosphate, causing nerves and muscles to become overly excited (tetany).

Hyperparathyroidism Manifestations

Characterized by high blood calcium levels, often summarized by the phrase: "Stones, bones, abdominal groans, and psychological overtones."

Emphysema

A type of COPD characterized by the destruction of alveolar walls and loss of lung elasticity, leading to air trapping and hyperinflation.

Pursed-Lip Breathing

A technique where the client exhales through narrowed lips to create back pressure that helps keep small airways open and moves trapped air out.

Asthma

A hyperresponsive airway disorder involving three major changes: bronchoconstriction, inflammation/edema, and increased mucus production.

Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Pathophysiology

Atrial quivering leads to blood stasis in the left atrial appendage, which can form a thrombus that breaks loose and blocks a cerebral artery.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Irreversible myocardial cell death resulting from prolonged ischemia, usually after a coronary atherosclerotic plaque ruptures and a thrombus forms.

Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH)

Thickening of the left ventricular muscle, usually developing because the heart must pump against increased resistance such as chronic hypertension.

Hypovolemic Shock

A state of decreased cardiac output and organ perfusion caused by a major loss of blood or fluid, leading to decreased preload and stroke volume.

Angiotensin II

A powerful vasoconstrictor produced through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system ($RAAS$) that raises blood pressure and stimulates aldosterone and $ADH$ release.

Right-Sided Heart Failure

Failure of the right ventricle to effectively pump blood into the pulmonary circulation, causing blood to back up into the systemic venous circulation (e.g., $JVD$, edema, ascites).

SA Node

The natural pacemaker of the heart that begins the electrical impulse, causing atrial depolarization.

ECG Waveform Meanings

The $P$ wave represents atrial depolarization, the $QRS$ complex represents ventricular depolarization, and the $T$ wave represents ventricular repolarization.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

The progressive damage of nephrons leading to a decreased $GFR$ and the accumulation of urea, creatinine, water, potassium, phosphate, and acids.

Pyelonephritis

An upper $UTI$ or kidney infection indicated by fever, chills, and flank or back pain (costovertebral-angle tenderness).

Sickle Cell Pain Pathophysiology

Rigid, sickle-shaped red blood cells obstruct small vessels, causing tissue ischemia and infarction, which results in severe pain.

Leukemia

A cancer where abnormal white blood cells multiply uncontrollably and crowd out normal blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, causing anemia, infection, and bleeding.

Iron-Deficiency Anemia Description

Anemia characterized by microcytic (small) and hypochromic (pale) red blood cells due to a lack of iron for hemoglobin production.

Neutrophils

Infection-fighting white blood cells that are the first to reach an injured or infected area to phagocytose bacteria and debris.

Malignant Tumor Characteristics

Tumors that grow uncontrollably, invade surrounding tissue, can metastasize to distant organs, and are often poorly differentiated or anaplastic.

Superficial (First-Degree) Burn

A burn involving only the epidermis that is red, dry, painful, and blanches with no blisters.

Stage 4 Pressure Injury

Full-thickness skin and tissue loss with exposed or directly palpable fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, or bone.

Viral Replication Steps

The process of attachment, penetration, uncoating, biosynthesis, assembly, and release using a host cell's machinery.

Five Classic Signs of Acute Inflammation

Redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function.

Meningitis Signs

Inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord, presenting with fever, severe headache, stiff neck (nuchal rigidity), and photophobia.

Gout

A condition where uric acid accumulates and forms monosodium urate crystals in joints, triggering intense inflammation and sudden severe pain.

Osteoporosis

A skeletal disorder where bone resorption exceeds bone formation, causing bones to become porous, fragile, and easily fractured.

Compartment Syndrome

A medical emergency where increased pressure within a firm fascial compartment compresses blood vessels and nerves, causing severe pain out of proportion to the injury.

Fat Embolism Syndrome Triad

A clinical triad appearing $24$ to $72\,hours$ after a long-bone fracture, consisting of respiratory distress, neurological changes, and a petechial rash.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)

An X-linked recessive disorder where absent dystrophin causes progressive muscle degeneration, often evidenced by Gowers sign and calf pseudohypertrophy.

Osteoarthritis

The gradual deterioration of joint cartilage and structures, leading to joint space narrowing, bone spurs, and pain that worsens with activity.

Osteomyelitis

Infection and inflammation of the bone that can occur through the bloodstream, open fractures, or surgery.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

A temporary interruption of cerebral blood flow that produces stroke-like symptoms without permanent infarction; a

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

An autoimmune central nervous system disorder where the immune system attacks myelin, forming plaques that block electrical nerve transmission.

Appendicitis Pain Migration

Pain that typically begins near the umbilicus and then migrates to the right lower quadrant at McBurney point.

Steatorrhea

Fatty, bulky, foul-smelling stools that float, indicating fat malabsorption.

Ulcerative Colitis

A chronic inflammatory bowel disease involving continuous inflammation of the colon and rectum, primarily affecting the mucosa and causing bloody diarrhea.

Medication Math (Pounds to Kilograms)

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