General Terminology

Question 1

What is the study of normal functions of the body systems called?

Answer 1

• Physiology

Question 2

What is the term that refers to the diagnosis of diseases through examining the body’s tissues?

Answer 2

• Pathology

Question 3

What is the process of development of disease in steps called? Can also be described as the development of a disease and the chain of events leading to that disease.

The process by which bacteria cause infectious illness

Most diseases are caused by multiple processes. For example, certain cancers arise from dysfunction of the immune system (skin tumours & lymphoma after a renal transplant, which requires immunosuppression).

Answer 3

• Pathogenesis

Question 4

What is the study of the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition?

Answer 4

• Etiology

Question 5

What is the study of changes in physiology or the disordered physiological processes associated with disease or injury?

Answer 5

• Pathophysiology

Question 6

What are objective alterations that can be observed or measured ? And, provide an example

Answer 6

• Signs
• Such as vital signs

Question 7

What are subjective experiences reported by the patient?(Representing the complaint of the patient) And, provide examples

Answer 7

• Symptoms
• Headaches, dizziness etc..

Question 8

What is a sudden appearance of signs and symptoms that lasts a short period of time? And, provide an example

Answer 8

• Acute illness
• Influenza

Question 9

What is a human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time? Slowly developing signs and symptoms, which last for 3 months or more. And, provide examples

Answer 9

• Chronic illness
• Arthritis, heart diseases, diabetes etc..

Question 10

What is the number of new occurrences of a condition (or disease) in a population over a specific period of time?

Answer 10

• Incidence

Question 11

What is the occurrence of a condition at a particular time “picture,” which includes both new&existing cases?

Answer 11

• Prevalence

Question 12

What are vague nonspecific symptoms, before the onset of specific symptoms? And, provide examples

Answer 12

• Prodromal Symptoms
• Headaches, fatigue, low mood, difficulties concentration etc…

Question 13

What is a description for any disease that comes on slowly &does not have obvious symptoms at first? And, provide an example

Answer 13

• Insidious disease
• Cancer

Question 14

What is the term that refers to when there are no symptoms present, but the disease is progressing? The time between being exposed to something that can cause disease (such as radiation or a virus) & having symptoms

And, provide an example

Answer 14

• Latent
• Shingles

Question 15

What is a risk factor that increases the probability of disease occurrence?

And, provide examples

Answer 15

• Predisposing factors
• Obesity, smoking, inactivity etc…

Question 16

What is the condition called that does cause the disease to start (develop) or trigger its manifestation?

And, provide an example

Answer 16

• Precipitating factor
• Excessive stress, pushing you towards abnormality

Question 17

What is the state of having a specific illness or condition?

And, provide an example

Answer 17

• Morbidity
• Hypertension

Question 18

What is the state of having multiple disorders occurring at the same time?

Answer 18

• Co-morbidity

Question 19

What is it called when an organism dies from a specific disease?

Answer 19

• Mortality

Question 20

What is the number of deaths due to a specific cause in a particular population? That is calculated by dividing the number of deaths by the population at risk during a specific time frame.

This rate is expressed in population units, typically as “per 100,000 people.

Answer 20

• Mortality rate

Question 21

What is a health condition that has a clearly defined reason behind it? Or when you can associate the signs & symptoms to a specific etiology

Answer 21

• Disease

Question 22

What are signs & symptoms that occur together but can’t be related to a single or multiple etiology (from the Greek word meaning “run together”)?

However, may produce a number of symptoms without an identifiable cause.

And, provide examples

Answer 22

• Syndrome
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), down syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome etc…

Question 23

What is the term that refers to a disturbance of normal functioning of the mind or body, & can also be used interchangeably with disease?

Answer 23

• Disorder

Question 24

What is either the reduction or disappearance of the signs & symptoms of a disease called?

And, provide an example

Answer 24

• Remission
• Cancer

Question 25

What is the worsening of a disease or an increase in its symptoms or signs? Which can happen after a period of remission And, provide an example

Answer 25

- Exacerbation - Such as, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD)

Question 26

What is an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result of, a procedure, treatment, or illness? And, provide an example

Answer 26

- Complication - Complications of diabetes

Question 27

What are residual effects that occur after the acute (initial, most severe) phase of an illness or injury: hemi- and quadriplegia, & any other changes that may be caused by neurological trauma? Basically, some of the signs & symptoms that stay after that acute phase go away

Answer 27

- Sequelae - After stroke for example, but depending on the location the patient might survive that acute phase, while some patients have facial expressions problems that occur after. Which can remain forever sometimes.

Question 28

What is the term called that refers to a disease that arises spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause?

Answer 28

- Idiopathic disease

Question 29

What is the causation of a disease, a harmful complication, or other ill effects by any medical activity, including diagnosis, intervention, error, or negligence called?

Answer 29

- Iatrogenic (i·at·ro·gen·ic)

Question 30

What is the term called that refers to hospital-acquired infections & diseases or also called healthcare-related infections? And, provide an example

Answer 30

- Nosocomial - Most commonly as infection