Comprehensive Study Notes on Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Prevention Levels

Pathophysiology and Epidemiological Concepts

  • Incidence: Refers to new cases of a disease or condition within a population.
  • Prevalence: Refers to all existing cases of a disease or condition in a population.
  • Pathophysiology: The study of what happens to the body when disease changes normal functioning.
  • Etiology: The cause of a disease (explains why it occurs).
  • Risk Factors: Something that increases a person's chance of developing a disease.
  • Pathogenesis: How a disease develops and progresses in the body (explains the process or how it occurs).
  • Clinical Manifestations: The signs and symptoms associated with a disease.
  • Syndrome: A group of signs and symptoms that occur together and are associated with a particular condition.
  • Complication: An additional problem that develops because of a disease, condition, or medical treatment.
  • Iatrogenic: A condition or effect unintentionally caused by health care or treatment.
  • Diagnosis: The specific disease or condition a person has.
  • Diagnostic Tests: Procedures and tests used to diagnose conditions, which include:
    • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
    • Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT scan)
    • Laboratory tests (lab tests)

Fundamentals of Pharmacology

  • Pharmacodynamics: What the drug does to the body.
  • Pharmacokinetics: What the body does to the drug.
  • Mechanism of Action via Receptors:
    • Drugs work by interacting with or binding to receptors, causing a biological response.
    • Receptor Analogy: The drug acts as a key, and the receptor acts as a lock.
  • Receptor Action Types:
    • Agonist: Binds to a receptor, activates the receptor, and causes a response.
    • Antagonist: Binds to a receptor and blocks or prevents a response.
  • Other Mechanisms of Drug Action:
    • Inhibit enzymes
    • Activate enzymes
    • Replace what substance the body is missing
    • Change normal body processes to produce a desired effect

Levels of Disease Prevention

  • Primary Prevention:
    • Goal: Prevent disease before it occurs; the disease has not happened yet.
    • Examples:
    • Vaccines
    • Exercise
    • Healthy diet
    • Smoking prevention
  • Secondary Prevention:
    • Goal: Find disease early; the disease may be developing, so the aim is to screen and detect it early.
    • Examples:
    • Mammogram
    • Blood pressure (BP) screenings
    • Cancer screening
  • Tertiary Prevention:
    • Goal: Manage disease; the person already has the disease, so the aim is preventing any worsening of the condition.
    • Examples:
    • Diabetes Mellitus (DM) management
    • Cardiac rehabilitation

Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Interventions

  • Pharmacological Interventions:
    • Interventions that use medications.
    • Examples:
    • Antibiotics
    • Insulin
  • Nonpharmacological Interventions:
    • Interventions that do NOT use medication.
    • Examples:
    • Yoga / exercise
    • Diet changes
    • Surgery
    • Counseling