click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Patho week 1
Term | Definition |
---|---|
morphology | The study of the physical form and structure of an organism; or the form and structure of a particular organism. (Adjective |
incidence | The rate at which a certain event occurs (e.g., the number of new cases of a specific disease during a particular period of time in a population at risk). |
morbidity | A diseased condition or state; the relative incidence of a disease or of all diseases in a population. |
prevalence | The number of new and old cases of a disease that are present in a population at a given time, or occurrences of an event during a particular period of time. |
Pathophysiology | may be defined as the physiology of altered health. |
Pathology (from the Greek pathos, meaning “disease”) deals with | the study of the structural and functional changes in cells, tissues, and organs of the body that cause or are caused by disease. |
Disease may be defined as | an interruption, cessation, or disorder of a body system or organ structure that is characterized usually by a recognized etiologic agent or agents, an identifiable group of signs and symptoms, or consistent anatomic alterations |
The aspects of the disease process include | etiology, pathogenesis, morphologic changes, and clinical manifestations |
The causes of disease are | etiologic factors. |
Among the recognized etiologic agents are | biologic agents (e.g., bacteria, viruses), physical forces (e.g., trauma, burns, radiation), chemical agents (e.g., poisons, alcohol), and nutritional excesses or deficits |
Congenital conditions are | defects that are present at birth, although they may not be evident until later in life, may be caused by genetic influences, environmental factors or a combination of genetic and environmental factors |
Acquired defects are | defects that are caused by events that occur after birth. These include injury, exposure to infectious agents, inadequate nutrition, lack of oxygen, inappropriate immune responses, and neoplasia |
Pathogenesis is | the sequence of cellular and tissue events that take place from the time of initial contact with an etiologic agent until the ultimate expression of a disease |
Morphology refers to | the fundamental structure or form of cells or tissues. Morphologic changes are concerned with both the gross anatomic and microscopic changes that are characteristic of a disease |
Histology deals with | the study of the cells and extracellular matrix of body tissues |
Signs and symptoms are | terms used to describe the structural and functional changes that accompany a disease |
A symptom is | a subjective complaint that is noted by the person with a disorder |
A sign is | a manifestation that is noted by an observer |
Signs and symptoms may be related to | the primary disorder or they may represent the body’s attempt to compensate for the altered function caused by the pathologic condition |
A syndrome is | a compilation of signs and symptoms |
Complications are | possible adverse extensions of a disease or outcomes from treatment |
Sequelae are | lesions or impairments that follow or are caused by a disease |
A diagnosis is | the designation as to the nature or cause of a health problem |
The diagnostic process | usually requires a careful history and physical examination |
Tests used to confirm a diagnosis | Laboratory tests, radiologic studies, computed tomography (CT) scans |
The quality of data on which a diagnosis is based may be judged for | their validity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value |
Validity refers to | the extent to which a measurement tool measures what it is intended to measure |
Reliability refers to | the extent to which an observation, if repeated, gives the same result |
Sensitivity refers to | the proportion of people with a disease who are positive for that disease on a given test or observation (called a true-positive result) |
Specificity refers to | the proportion of people without the disease who are negative on a given test or observation (called a true-negative result) |
Predictive value is | the extent to which an observation or test result is able to predict the presence of a given disease or condition |
A positive predictive value refers to | the proportion of true-positive results that occurs in a given population |
A negative predictive value refers to | the true-negative observations in a population |
An acute disorder is | one that is relatively severe, but self-limiting |
Chronic disease | implies a continuous, long-term process. A chronic disease can run a continuous course or can present with exacerbations and remissions |
Subacute disease is | intermediate or between acute and chronic |
Epidemiology is | the study of disease occurrence in human populations |
Epidemiology looks for | patterns, such as age, race, dietary habits, lifestyle, or geographic location, of persons affected with a particular disorder |
Epidemiologic methods are | used to determine how a disease is spread, how to control it, how to prevent it, and how to eliminate it |
epidemiologic studies serve as | a basis for clinical decision making, allocation of health care dollars, and development of policies related to public health issues |
Incidence | reflects the number of new cases arising in a population at risk during a specified time |
The population at risk is | considered to be persons who are without the disease but are at risk for developing it |
The cumulative incidence | estimates the risk of developing the disease during that period of time |
Prevalence is | a measure of existing disease in a population at a given point in time (e.g., number of existing cases divided by the current population) |
Mortality | statistics provide information about the causes of death in a given population |
Morbidity | describes the effects an illness has on a person’s life |
risk factors | Conditions suspected of contributing to the development of a disease. They may be inherent to the person (high blood pressure or overweight) or external (smoking or drinking alcohol) |
The natural history of a disease | refers to the progression and projected outcome of the disease without medical intervention |
By studying the patterns of a disease over time in populations, epidemiologists can | better understand its natural history |
Prognosis refers to | the probable outcome and prospect of recovery from a disease. It can be designated as chances for full recovery, possibility of complications, or anticipated survival time |
There are three fundamental types of prevention | primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention |
Primary prevention is | directed at keeping disease from occurring by removing all risk factors |
Secondary prevention | detects disease early when it is still asymptomatic and treatment measures can affect a cure or stop the disease from progressing |
Tertiary prevention is | directed at clinical interventions that prevent further deterioration or reduce the complications of a disease once it has been diagnosed |
Physiology | deals with the functions of the human body. |
pathophysiology focuses on | the mechanisms of the underlying disease process and provides the background for preventive as well as therapeutic health care measures and practices. |