epidemiology Flashcards
primary prevention
before the condition occurs (e.g. sunscreen, hand washing)
Secondary prevention
Screening for early development of condition
Tertiary prevention
treatment after the condition occurs (chemo, dialysis)
chronic disease
a pathological disease/illness that lasts longer than 3 months
What are the two subsections of the expanded chronic care model?
community: (zoomed out)
Health system (zoomed in)
Epidemiology
studying the distribution of risk factors for disease in populations
What are the two types of health related data in a population?
- descriptive: what, who, where, when
- analytical: origin or causes of the disease process
What is the epidemiological triangle?
agent, host, environment
pathogen
something that can cause disease
What does communicable mean?
infectious or contagious
What is the chain of infection?
- agent
- reservoir
- port of exit
- mode of transmission
- portal of entry
- host
resident microorganisms
permanently on the skin
transient microorganisms
attach to the skin when person comes in contact
reservoir
place where a pathogen can survive, may multiply
colonizing
occupying space, does not cause harm
carriers
show no symptoms, have pathogens in body
aerobic bacteria
need O2 to survive
What is a portal of exit/entry?
any break in the skin, excretions, artificial airways/tubes
susceptibilty
level at which person is no longer resistant to the microorganism
pathogenicity
ability for microorganisms to cause disease
What is localized vs systemic infection?
localized: restricted to a limited area
systemic: affects the entire body
What is a vector?
mode of transmission, a way of transferring the disease without getting it
