Clinical Applications: terms to know

Question 1

Signs

Answer 1

(objective) observable/quantifiable by PCP or patient, diagnostic testing (a cell count)

Question 2

Symptoms

Answer 2

(subjective) report from patient. hard to measure

Question 3

Diagnosis

Answer 3

declaring disease via signs and symptoms and clinical testing

Question 4

Syndrome

Answer 4

signs and symptoms tend to “run together” no definitive testing in diagnosis

Question 5

Prevalence

Answer 5

number of people with a disease during a given time frame

Question 6

Incidence

Answer 6

number of people newly diagnosed with the disease during a given time frame

Question 7

Morbidity

Answer 7

how many people have the disease within a population

Question 8

Mortality

Answer 8

how many people have died from the disease

Question 9

Onset

Answer 9

when did the disease start? when were the symptoms first noticed?

Question 10

Duration

Answer 10

how long will you be sick? what is the prognosis?

Question 11

Acute

Answer 11

Sudden onset, lasts more than 3 months

Question 12

Chronic

Answer 12

Slower onset, lasts more than 3 months

Question 13

Insidious

Answer 13

happening gradually over time, can’t identify when it all started (chronic)

Question 14

Idiopathic

Answer 14

cannot identify cause of disease (can be acute or chronic)