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Pathophysiology and Pharmacology > Chapter 1 - Introduction to Pathophysiology > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Pathophysiology Flashcards

1
Q

acute onset

A

in the context of pathophysiology, a disease that appears suddenly and obviously

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2
Q

anaplasia

A

the loss of structural differentiation within a cell or group of cells; often seen in malignant tumors

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3
Q

apoptosis

A

the death of cells which occurs as a normal and controlled part of an organism’s growth or development

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4
Q

biopsy

A

a sample of tissue taken from the body in order to examine it more closely

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5
Q

caseous necrosis

A

a form of coagulation necrosis in which a thick, yellowish, “cheesy” substance forms (such a thing is often seen in tuberculosis)

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6
Q

cause-and-effect pathophysiology

A

a reference to the fact that many disorders affecting a particular system or organ display a set of common signs and symptoms directly related to that organ’s normal structure and function. (e.g. when the liver is damaged, many clotting factors cannot be produced; therefore excessive bleeding results. Jaundice, a yellow color in the skin, is another sign of liver disease, resulting from the liver’s inability to excrete bilirubin)

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7
Q

clinical disease

A

a disease that has signs and symptoms that can be recognized by clinical tests

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8
Q

coagulative necrosis

A

the process that occurs when the cell proteins are altered or denatured (similar to the coagulation that occurs when cooking eggs), and the cells retain some type of form for a time after death. This process typically occurs in a myocardial infarction (heart attack) when a lack of oxygen causes cell death

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9
Q

communicable diseases

A

infections that can be spread from one person to another

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10
Q

complications

A

new secondary or additional problems that arise after the original disease begins (e.g. following a heart attack, a person may develop congestive heart failure, a complication)

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11
Q

convalescence

A

the gradual recovery of health and strength after illness; also called rehabilitation

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12
Q

diagnosis

A

the identification of a specific disease through evaluation of signs and symptoms, laboratory tests, or other tools. More than one factor is usually required to verify a diagnosis.

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13
Q

diagnostic tests

A

laboratory tests that assist in the diagnosis of a specific disease

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14
Q

disease

A

a deviation from the normal structure or function of any part, organ, system (or combination of these), or from a state of wellness

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15
Q

dry gangrene

A

gangrene caused by coagulative necrosis in which the tissue dries, shrinks, and blackens

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16
Q

dysplasia

A

a term for what occurs when cells in a tissue are of different shapes and sizes; can be a sign of chronic infection or a precancerous stage

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17
Q

endogenous

A

growing or originating from within an organism

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18
Q

epidemic

A

a higher than expected number of cases of an infectious disease within a given area

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19
Q

epidemiology

A

the science of tracking the pattern or occurrence of disease

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20
Q

etiology

A

the cause of a disease or abnormal condition; also used to mean the study of the causes of disease

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21
Q

evidence-based research findings

A

findings that result from a completed “research process in the health sciences”; from this point, the medical community will review it to see if it becomes a standard practice

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22
Q

exacerbation

A

a worsening in the severity of the disease or in its signs/symptoms

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23
Q

exogenous

A

growing or originating from outside an organism

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24
Q

fat necrosis

A

the process that occurs when fatty tissue is broken down into fatty acids in the presence of infection or certain enzymes; these compounds may increase inflammation

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25
Q

gangrene

A

an area of necrotic tissue, usually associated with a lack or loss of blood supply that is followed by invasion of bacteria

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26
Q

gas gangrene

A

gangrene caused by the buildup of gases within tissue

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27
Q

hyperplasia

A

an increased number of cells, resulting in an enlarged tissue mass; often an initial stage in the development of cancer

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28
Q

hypertrophy

A

an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting in an enlarged tissue mass; seen often in muscle mass that increases due to exercise

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29
Q

hypoxia

A

deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching a tissue

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30
Q

iatrogenic

A

an adjective that is used when a disease is caused by a medical action (the cause could be negligence or a complication)

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31
Q

idiopathic

A

an adjective that is used when the cause of a disease is unknown or when the disease arises spontaneously

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32
Q

incidence

A

in epidemiology, the number of new cases of disease or injury in a population over a specified period of time

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33
Q

incubation period

A

the time between exposure to a harmful microorganism and the onset of signs or symptoms

34
Q

infarction

A

death of tissue resulting from a failure of blood supply

35
Q

insidious disease

A

any disease that comes on slowly and does not have obvious symptoms at first

36
Q

ischemia

A

an inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body

37
Q

latent

A

an adjective which means “existing in hidden or dormant form”; often used for the stage of a disease when it is not obviously present

38
Q

lesion

A

an abnormal area of tissue inside or outside the body that may get bigger or change appearance, and may or may not be cancerous

39
Q

liquefaction necrosis

A

the process by which dead cells liquefy under the influence of certain cell enzymes. This process occurs when brain tissue dies or in certain bacterial infections in which a cavity or ulcer may develop in the infected area

40
Q

local manifestation

A

a manifestation located at a particular site

41
Q

lysis

A

the disintegration of a cell by rupture of the cell wall or membrane

42
Q

malignant neoplasm

A

another word for cancer or a malignant tumor

43
Q

manifestation

A

a symptom or sign of a disease

44
Q

metaplasia

A

a term for what occurs when one cell type replaces another cell type; often seen in cigarette smokers when the lung tissue changes to defend against cigarette smoke, but that change also leaves the lungs more vulnerable to cancer

45
Q

morbidity

A

the disease rates within a group; this term is sometimes used to indicate the functional impairment that certain conditions (such as stroke) cause within a population

46
Q

morphology

A

the branch of biology that deals with the form of living organisms, and with relationships between their structures

47
Q

mortality

A

the relative number of deaths resulting from a particular disease

48
Q

necrosis

A

the death of one or more cells or a portion of tissue or organ as a result of irreversible damage

49
Q

neoplasia

A

the new, uncontrolled growth of cells

50
Q

neoplasm

A

a new and abnormal growth of tissue in some part of the body, especially as a characteristic of cancer; also used as a term for tumor

51
Q

occurrence

A

in epidemiology, a measure of the incidence and prevalence of a disease

52
Q

onset

A

the beginning of something, especially something unpleasant (such as a disease, in this case)

53
Q

pandemic

A

an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide

54
Q

pathogenesis

A

the process by which a disease or disorder develops

55
Q

pathology

A

the laboratory study of cell and tissue changes associated with disease

56
Q

pathophysiology

A

the study of how disease changes the function of the human body while its alive

57
Q

perpetuating factors

A

something that maintains the problem or disease once it has become established

58
Q

phagocytes

A

cells that protect the body by ingesting harmful foreign particles, bacteria, and dead or dying cells

59
Q

phagocytosis

A

process by which certain living cells called phagocytes ingest or engulf other cells or particles

60
Q

postmortem examination

A

an examination of a dead person’s body in order to determine the cause of death; also called an autopsy or necropsy

61
Q

precipitating factor

A

something that causes or triggers the onset of a disorder, illness, accident, or behavioral response

62
Q

predisposing factors

A

factors or conditions that render an individual vulnerable to a disease or disorder

63
Q

predisposing factors

A

things that promote the development of disease in an individual; they can be things such as age, gender, or lifestyle

64
Q

prevalence

A

in epidemiology, the total number of individuals in a population who have a disease or health condition at a specific period of time

65
Q

primary prevention

A

preventative steps that seek to prevent the disease from ever occurring (such as never drinking alcohol in order to avoid liver disease)

66
Q

prodromal period

A

the period after the incubation period; during this stage, people start to have symptoms but have trouble recognizing the cause; tests are often still negative for the disease at this point

67
Q

prognosis

A

the probability or likelihood for recovery or other outcomes

68
Q

prophylaxis

A

measures designed to preserve health (as of an individual or of society) and prevent the spread of disease

69
Q

pyroptosis

A

a form of cell death that leads to inflammation, often in response to a harmful microorganism

70
Q

remission

A

a period or condition in which the manifestations of the disease subside, either permanently or temporarily

71
Q

reportable disease

A

a disease that a physician must report to the authorities; also called a notifiable disease

72
Q

research process in the health sciences

A

a three-step process to discovering new therapies, made up of the following steps: (Stage 1) identify a technology that will limit or prevent the disease process. This stage is carried out in the laboratory and often requires the use of animals or cell cultures; (Stage 2) bring in a small number of human subjects to determine if therapy is safe; (Stage 3) bring in a large number of human subjects in clinical trials; most research never makes it this far

73
Q

rheumatoid arthritis

A

a chronic systemic disorder with remissions and exacerbations, resulting in permanent joint damage; the disease is caused by the immune system attacking the joints through inflammation

74
Q

secondary prevention

A

steps taken after a disease is diagnosed to prevent the disease from doing further damage

75
Q

signs

A

objective indicators of disease that are obvious to someone other than the affected individual; just like manifestations, they can be local or systemic

76
Q

subclinical disease

A

a disease that is not detectable or that produces effects that are not detectable by the usual clinical tests

77
Q

syndrome

A

a collection of signs and symptoms, often affecting more than one organ, that usually occur together in response to a certain condition

78
Q

systemic manifestation

A

a manifestation with a widespread location, such as a fever in the whole body

79
Q

tertiary prevention

A

steps taken to help people manage complicated, long-term health problems (such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer)

80
Q

wet gangrene

A

gangrene that is a result of liquefaction causing the tissue to become cold, swollen, and black

Pathophysiology and Pharmacology (23 decks)

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