Pathophysiology
- the study of functional or physiologic changes in the body that result from disease processes
Pathology
- the laboratory study of cell and tissue changes associated with disease
Disease
- deviation from the normal state of homeostasis
Health
- physical, mental, and social well-being
Homeostasis
- the maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment regardless of external changes
Seven Steps to Health
- Be a nonsmoker and avoid second hand smoke
- Eat 5 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit a day. Choose high-fiber, low-fat foods. If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to one or two drinks a day
- Be physically active on a regular basis. This will also help you maintain a healthy weight
- Protect yourself and your family from the sun
- Follow cancer screening guidelines
- Visit your doctor or dentist if you notice any change in your normal state of health
- Follow health and safety instructions at home and at work, when using, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials
Jaundice
- yellow color in the skin
- sign or liver disease
- results from the liver's inability to excrete bilirubin
Inflammation of the Liver
- causes swelling of the tissue and stretching of the liver capsule, resulting in pain
Disease Prevention
- maintaining routine vaccination programs
- encouraging
participation in screening programs
- Ex: blood pressure clinics and vision screening
- community health programs
Primary Prevention
- the goal is to protect healthy perople from developing a
disease or experiencing an injury in the first place
-
EXAMPLES:
- Education about good nutrition, the importance of regular exercise, and the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs
- Education and legislation about proper seatbelt and helmet use
- Regular exams and screening tests to monitor risk factors for illness
- Immunization against infectious diseases
- Controlling potential hazards at home and in the workplace
-
EXAMPLES:
Secondary Prevention
- happens after an illness or serious risk factors have already been diagnosed.
- The goal is to halt or slow the progress of
disease (if possible)
- EXAMPLES:
- telling people to take daily, low-dose aspirin to prevent a first or second heart attack or stroke
- recommending regular exams & screening tests for people with known risk factors for illness
- EXAMPLES:
Tertiary Prevention
- helps people manage complicated, long-term health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and chronic musculoskeletal pain
- goals include preventing further physical deterioration
and maximizing quality of life
- EXAMPLES:
- Cardiac or stroke rehabilitation programs
- chronic pain management programs
- patient support groups
- EXAMPLES:
Medical History
- essential to identify any impact health care activities might
have on a patient's condition, or how a patient's illness might
complicate care
- INCLUDES CURRENT OR
PRIOR:
- illnesses
- allergies
- hospitalizations
- treatments
- specific difficulties
- any type of therapy or drugs (prescription, nonprescription, herbal items, including food supplements)
- INCLUDES CURRENT OR
PRIOR:
Gross Level
- organ or system level
- can be seen with the naked eye
Microscopic Level
- cellular level
Biopsy
- excision of small amounts of living tissue
- used to examine the cause
Autopsy
- examination of the body and organs after death
Diagnosis
- identification of a specific disease through evaluation of signs and symptoms
- more than factor is usually required to verify a diagnosis
Etiology
- the causative factors of a disease
Idiopathic
- when the cause of a disease is unknown
Iatrogenic
- a disease or condition that is induced unintentionally in a
patient by a physician
- EXAMPLES:
- bladder infection following catheterization
- bone marrow damage caused by a prescription drug
- EXAMPLES:
Predisposing Factors
- the
tendencies that promote development
of a disease in an individual
- EXAMPLES:
- age
- gender
- inherited factors
- occupational exposure
- certain dietary practices
- EXAMPLES:
Pathogenesis
- the development of the disease or the sequence of events involved in the tissue changes
Acute Diseases
- short-term illness that develops very quickly with marked signs
- signs and symptoms are typically extreme
Chronic Diseases
- usually mild condition
- develops gradually
- persists for a long time
- usually causes more permanent tissue damage
Subclinical State
- pathologic changes occur
- no obvious manifestations
Latent Stage
- no symptoms or clinical signs are evident
- remission
Incubation Period
- the time between exposure to the microorganism and the onset of signs or symptoms
Prodromal Period
- the time in the early development of a disease when one is
aware of a change in the body, but the signs are nonspecific
- EXAMPLES:
- fatigue
- headache
- loss of appetite
- EXAMPLES:
- laboratory test are usually negative during this period
Manifestations
- the clinical evidence
- the signs and symptoms of a disease
Local
- found at the site of the problem
Systemic
- general indicators of illness
-
EXAMPLE:
- fever
Signs
- objective indicators of a disease that are obvious to someone other than the affected individual
-
EXAMPLES:
- fever
- skin rash
Symptoms
- subjective feelings
- such as:
- pain or nausea
Lesion
- a specific local change int the tissue
Syndrome
- a collection of signs and symptoms, often affecting more than one organ
Diagnostic Tests
- laboratory tests that assist in the diagnosis of a specific disease
- may also be used for monitoring the response to treatment or the progress of the disease
Remission
- manifestations of the disease subside or are absent
Precipitating Factor
- a condition that triggers an acute episode
-
EXAMPLE:
- a seizure in an individual with a seizure disorder
Complications
- new secondary or additional problems that arise after the original disease begins
-
EXAMPLE:
- following a heart attack, a person may develop congestive heart failure
Therapy
- treatment measures used to promote recovery or slow the progress of a disease
-
EXAMPLES:
- surgery
- drugs
- physiotherapy
Sequelae
- the potential unwanted outcomes of a disease
-
SUCH AS:
- paralysis following recovery from a stroke
Convalascence
- the period of recovery and return to normal health
Rehabilitation
- maximizing function of diseased tissues
Morbidity
- indicates the number of people with a particular disease within a group
Mortality
- indicates the relative number of deaths resulting from a particular disease
Epidemiology
- the science of tracking the pattern or occurrence of disease
Epidemics
- occurs when there are a higher than expected number of cases of an infectious disease within a given area
Panemics
- involve a higher number of cases in many regions of the globe
Occurrence of a Disease
- tracked by incidence and prevalence
Incidence of a Disease
- indicates the number of new cases in a given population
- within a specific time period
Prevalence of a Disease
- the number of new and old or existing cases within a specific population and time period
Communicable Diseases
- infections that can spread from one person to another
Notifiable or Reportable Disease
- diseases that must be reported by the physician to certain designated authorities
- is done to prevent further spread of the disease & maintain public health
-
EXAMPLES:
- SARS
- HIV
- Measles
- AIDS
Autopsy or Postmortem Examination
- performed after death to determine the exact cause of death
Atrophy
- decrease in the size of cells
- results in reduced tissue mass
Hypertrophy
- increase in cell size
- results in enlarged tissue mass
Hyperplasia
- increased number of cells
- results in enlarged tissue mass
Metaplasia
- one mature cell type is replaced by a different mature cell type
- may result from a deficit in vitamin A
Dysplasia
- tissue to in which the cells vary in size and shape
- large nuclei
- rate of mitosis is usually increased
Apoptosis
- refers to programmed cell death
- a normal occurrence in the body
Ischemia
- decreased supply of oxygenated blood to a tissue or organ
Hypoxia
- reduced oxygen in tissues
Exogenous
- chemicals from outside the body
Endogenous
- chemicals from inside the body
Microorganisms
- living organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye
Initial Cell Damage
- causes an alteration in a metabolic reaction
- leads to loss of cell function