Environmental Pathology Flashcards
What percentage of all deaths annually is accounted for by alcohol?
3.2%
What is the primary cause of 15% of alcohol-related deaths?
Cirrhosis
What are the major causes of alcohol-related deaths?
- Drunken driving
- Alcohol-related homicides
- Suicides
What are the effects of tobacco on children?
- Increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Increased number of otitis media and upper respiratory infections (URIs)
- Increased incidence of asthma
What are the effects of tobacco on women?
- Early menopause
- Increased rate of postmenopausal osteoporosis
What are the effects of tobacco on pregnant women?
- Increased risk of spontaneous abortions and stillbirths
- Intrauterine growth retardation
List respiratory diseases caused by tobacco.
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Asthma
- Increased pulmonary infections
What cardiovascular diseases are majorly caused by tobacco?
- Atherosclerosis
- Coronary artery disease
- Myocardial infarctions
- Coronary vasospasm
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Aortic aneurysms
- Buerger’s disease
- Stroke
What types of cancer can tobacco contribute to?
- Lung
- Oral cavity, pharynx and larynx
- Esophagus and stomach
- Cervical cancer
- Pancreas
- Kidney, ureter and bladder
- Leukemia
What are the two types of smoke produced by tobacco?
- Mainstream smoke
- Sidestream smoke
How many components and carcinogens are present in tobacco smoke?
Over 4,000 components and over 40 known carcinogens
What is acetaldehyde’s role in alcohol toxicity?
Responsible for many acute toxicities of alcohol and the development of oral cancers
What happens to people with no acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity when consuming alcohol?
Experience nausea, flushing, tachycardia, and hyperventilation
What are the potential beneficial effects of alcohol on the cardiovascular system?
In moderation, can reduce cardiovascular disease risk by increasing HDL and reducing platelet aggregation
Name some adverse effects of alcohol on the pancreas.
- Acute pancreatitis
- Chronic pancreatitis
What are some adverse effects of alcohol on the heart?
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
What are the CNS effects of acute alcohol intoxication?
- Inebriation
- Coma
- Respiratory arrest
What are the gastrointestinal effects of chronic alcoholism?
- Acute gastritis
- Mallory-Weiss syndrome
What are common air pollutants?
- Ozone
- Sulfur dioxide
- Soot
- Carbon monoxide
What is the major organ impacted by air pollutants?
Lung
What is a major effect of ozone as an air pollutant?
Injures the alveolar epithelium and induces pulmonary inflammation
What is the source and effect of sulfur dioxide?
- Source: Combustion of coal and oil, copper smelting, and paper manufacture
- Effect: Burning, dyspnea, airway hyper-reactivity
What is the effect of carbon monoxide exposure?
CNS depression and systemic hypoxia
What are some occupational health risks associated with industrial toxins?
- Scrotal cancer from soot
- Angiosarcoma of the liver from vinyl chloride
- Lung cancer from uranium and radon gas
What are the effects of lead poisoning?
- CNS toxicity
- Cognitive impairment
- Abdominal pain
- Microcytic anemia
What are the effects of mercury exposure?
- Nephrotoxicity
- Neurotoxicity
- In-utero exposure can cause cerebral palsy
What are the acute effects of arsenic poisoning?
- Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis
- CNS toxicity
- Garlic-scented breath
What is the mechanism of cyanide poisoning?
Blocks cellular respiration by binding to mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase
What is the role of xenobiotics in the body?
May be metabolized to water-soluble compounds or toxic metabolites
What is the impact of climate change on health?
- Amplified cardiovascular and respiratory diseases
- Increased gastroenteritis and infection epidemics
True or False: Smoking is the most common exogenous cause of human malignancy.
True
What is the leading global cause of health loss?
Undernutrition
What are the effects of wood smoke as an indoor air pollutant?
Irritation and increased incidence of respiratory infections
What is the classification of formaldehyde in terms of health risk?
Carcinogen
