Chpt1 - Mech of Disease, Diagnosis & Treatment

Question 1

Explain how a pathologic condition affects the homeostasis of the body.

Answer 1

Homeostasis is the condition of balance in a healthy human body. Pathogens disturb this homeostasis and causing measurable changes in the stability which will be observed as disease. Examples of this are when the immune response gets triggered when detecting foreign objects in the blood or tissue and releases various chemical substances which will temporarily disturb the said homeostasis.

Question 2

Describe the difference between:

1. Signs and symptoms of disease, and
2. Acute and chronic disease

Answer 2

1. Symptoms = negative characteristics of their disease as subjectively described by the patient. Signs = objectively findings as described by MD during physical examination & diagnostic testing. Asymptomatic: when signs of disease are found in patient not displaying symptoms e.g. elevated BP in undiagnosed hypertension.
2. Acute refers to an abrupt onset of more or less severe symptoms that run a brief course (usually shorter than 6 months). When a disease develops slowly, or is intermittent, and lasts longer than 6 months, it is described as chronic. Persons who have continuous pain as part of chronic syndromes often experience depression.

Question 3

Identify the 6 predisposing factors of disease.

Answer 3

Predisposing factors, also called risk factors, make a
person or group more vulnerable to disease.
 - Age
 - Gender
 - Lifestyle
 - Environment
 - Heredity
 - Immunodeficiency

Question 4

Explain the body’s 3 natural defense systems against

infection.

Answer 4

The body’s natural defense systems against infection
include:
(1) natural mechanical and chemical barriers,
such as the skin, the cilia, body pH, and normal
body flora;
(2) the inflammatory response; and
(3) the immune response.

Question 5

Explain the terms “superbugs” and “super strains”

as they relate to infection.

Answer 5

Emergence of new, virulent antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (commonly referred to as “superbugs” or “super strains”), which present a danger even to the young and healthy.

Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) began showing up in hospitals, jails, crowded living quarters, and other community environments.

MRSA is to blame for aggressive skin and soft tissue infections, sometimes mistaken for spider bites; these lesions quickly develop into abscesses and cellulitis.

In addition to skin infections, MRSA can cause fatal pneumonia, bone infections, and septicemia.

Question 6

Describe the 3 ways in which pathogens may cause disease.

Answer 6

Need text book answer but in essence:

1) infection by entering the body via openings
2) when digestion takes place which contains pathogens
3) enter body via insect bites or damages skin

Also see - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27114/figure/A1328/?report=objectonly

Viruses
Bacteria
Fungi
Protozoa
Worms

Question 7

Describe the 3 difference between benign and malignant neoplasms.

Answer 7

1. Growth:
   - relatively slow vs. rapid growth
   - encapsulated, cells adhering to each other vs. invading surrounding tissue.
2. Histology:
   - well differentiated and appears normal vs. vary in shape and size, abnormal appearance.
   - resembling tissue of origin vs. do not resemble tissue of origin.
3. Spread:
   - remains localized vs. metastasis (cancer cells carried by blood and lymphatics to one or more other locations; secondary tumors occur).

Question 8

Explain the relationship between mutations in the genetic code in cancer and other diseases.

Answer 8

Think about this one…. cancer about abnormal / uncontrollable growth, vs. other mutations which causes for example defects not relating to growth but the formation of RBS or uptake of VitB12.
Also, not all mutations are bad for you.

Question 9

List the prevention guidelines for cancer (9 points).

Answer 9

• Diet: diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; limit consumption of processed and red meats.
• Cigarette: eliminate active and passive exposure to cigarette smoke.
• Sunlight: limit skin exposure to sunlight.
• Alk: Limit use of alcohol.
• Radiation: avoid excessive exposure to radiation and radon.
• Chemicals: avoid chemical agents known to be carcinogenic.
• Activity: Increase physical activity.
• Weight: Maintain a healthy weight.
• Protect against sexually transmitted infections,
including getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Question 10

Recall the two systems used to stage and grade

cancer tumor cells (p13).

Answer 10

The stage of a cancer describes the size of a tumour and how far it has spread from where it originated. The grade describes the appearance of the cancerous cells. If you’re diagnosed with cancer, you may have more tests to help determine how far it has progressed.
» The stage usually offers the best indicator of prognosis.
» Grade is assigned based on the degree of differentiation of the tumor cells. Well-differentiated, low-grade tumor cells still retain features of the tissue cells from which they are derived. Poorly differentiated, highgrade tumor cells are more abnormal in appearance and do not resemble the tissue from which they are derived. High-grade tumor cells usually have a greater number of mitoses (divide more rapidly) and are associated with poorer survival.
The grading system is known as the Gleason grade, and it was designed with the knowledge that prostate cancer has different patterns of growth and that multiple patterns coexist in the prostate.

Question 11

Describe how chemotherapy treatment fights cancer and name normal cells which are 4 affected and causes classic side effects of cancer.

Answer 11

• Chemotherapy involves the use of medicines to destroy cancer cells.
• Most of the drugs affect cell replication, so chemotherapy is most effective against rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells.
• Normal cells in other parts of the body that are known to divide rapidly also are destroyed, and this accounts for many of the classic side effects of chemotherapy. These cell populations (and the related side effects) include hair cells (alopecia); gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal cells (anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea); hematopoietic cells (anemia and bruising); and reproductive organs (infertility).

Question 12

Describe the hospice concept of care (4 points)

Answer 12

1) Patient + Family: The word hospice describes a unique concept of care developed to help patients and their families deal with life-threatening illness.
2) Compassionate staff: The hospice philosophy of care includes a compassionate staff pledged to respect the patient’s choice for care and to provide comfort, dignity, and privacy.
3) Focus: The focus is on comfort and supportive care for the family unit during the illness and the bereavement period.
4) Philosophy: The philosophy of hospice affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones death

Question 13

Recall three classes of immune disorders that result in the breakdown of the body’s defense system.

Answer 13

Immune disorders are the result of a breakdown in the body’s defense system that may generate:

(1) hypersensitivity (allergy),
(2) autoimmune diseases, or
(3) immunodeficiency disorders.

Question 14

Explain how mild to very severe symptoms of an allergic response can be triggered in the body

Answer 14

p. 18, Figure 1-4 Mechanisms of allergic reaction.