Health Exam #2 Study Guide Flashcards
Define Fomite
inanimate object or substance capable of carrying infectious organisms and transferring them from one individual to another.
What is the relationship between fomites and hospital acquired infections?
Fomites are possible routes to pass pathogens between patients, as the infectious organisms could live on: • clothing • bedding • stethoscopes • IV drip tubes • catheters
What are the parts of the chain of infection? (6, in order)
- Infectious Agent
- Reservoir
- Portal of Exit
- Mode of Transmission
- Portal of Entry
- Susceptible Host
Define Infectious Agent
Any microorganism that can cause a disease
ex: bacterium, virus, parasite, helminth (worms)
Define Reservoir
The place where the microorganism resides, thrives, and reproduces
Define Portal of Exit
The place where the organism leaves the reservoir
Define Mode of Transmission
The means by which an organism transfers from one carrier to another, either by:
• direct transmission (direct contact between the infectious host and susceptible host)
or
• indirect transmission (involving an intermediate carrier)
Define Portal of Entry
The opening where an infectious disease enters the host’s body
Define Susceptible Host
The person who is at risk for developing an infection from the disease
How can we interrupt the chain of infection at the INFECTIOUS AGENT stage?
- Preventative treatment to those who may be exposed
- Rapidly identify the pathogen
- Give prompt treatment to those infected
- Good health and hygiene
How can we interrupt the chain of infection at the RESERVOIR stage?
- Good health and hygiene
- Environmental sanitation
- Disinfection/Sterilization
- Hand hygiene
How can we interrupt the chain of infection at the PORTAL OF EXIT stage?
- Hand hygiene
- Control of excretions and secretions
- Proper attire
- Appropriate disposal of trash and waste
How can we interrupt the chain of infection at the MODE OF TRANSMISSION stage?
- Hand hygiene
- Proper food handling
- Isolation procedures
- Airflow control
- Disinfection/Sterilization
How can we interrupt the chain of infection at the PORTAL OF ENTRY stage?
- Hand hygiene
- Wound care
- Catheter care
- Aseptic technique
How can we interrupt the chain of infection at the SUSCEPTIBLE HOST stage?
- Treatment of primary disease
* Recognizing high risk clients
What is herd immunity?
Form of immunity that occurs when the vaccination of a significant portion of a population provides a measure of protection for individuals who haven’t developed immunity. When many people are vaccinated, it’s difficult for a disease to spread because there are so few susceptible people left to infect, which therefore stops the spread of disease in a community.
What is polio?
A highly infectious and incurable viral disease that spreads from person to person and invades the nervous system, often causing paralysis.
Why hasn’t polio been eradicated?
Not everyone is being vaccinated, whether it’s due to personal choice or because of poor governance unreliably vaccinating children.
What disease(s) have been globally eradicated?
only smallpox
What are five ways that HIV can be transmitted?
- Sexual contact with an infected person
- Sharing needles, syringes, or other injection equipment with someone who is infected
- Mother-to-child transmission
- Transmission in healthcare settings
- Transmission via donated blood or blood clotting factors
What are some (3) reasons why it is difficult to eradicate infectious diseases?
- Organisms almost invariably evolve mechanisms of resistance
- Evolution of antimicrobial resistance is enhanced by overuse of antibiotics in animals and inappropriate use in humans
- Many viruses such as influenza virus rapidly develop mutations even in a single brief replication cycle
What are modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD)?
- Blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- Blood pressure
- Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes
- Overweight/Obesity
- Smoking
- Lack of physical exercise
- Diet
- Stress
What are non-modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD)?
- Age
- Gender
- Family history of CHD
What is the most common cause of disability in the US?
Arthritis, with ~50% of those afflicted having trouble with usual activities
What is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations (other than those caused by injury), and new cases of blindness among adults?
Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus causes…
long term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs
What is the number one killer of both men and women in the US?
coronary heart disease (CHD)
What is another major killer/disabler?
chronic lung disease
Define HDL
High Density Lipoprotein
• Helps remove cholesterol from the arteries
• Considered “good” cholesterol
Define LDL
Low Density Lipoprotein
• Carries cholesterol to tissues, including the heart’s arteries
• Raises risk of CHD
Type 1 Diabetes
Occurs when the body’s immune system destroys pancreatic cells that make insulin, which regulates blood glucose.
Risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes
autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors
Type 2 Diabetes
Usually begins as insulin resistance with cells not using insulin properly, and as the need for insulin rises, the pancreas loses its ability to produce insulin.
Risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes
- Older age
- Obesity
- Family history of diabetes
- History of gestational diabetes
- Impaired glucose metabolism
- Physical Inactivity
- Race/Ethnicity (esp. Blacks, Latinos, American Indians, Asians, native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders)
What target has been set by the WHO to reduce global non-communicable diseases?
25% reduction in non-communicable diseases by 2025, by providing foundation for advocacy, raising awareness, reinforcing political commitment, and promoting global action.
Define Ethnocentrism
Viewing other cultures solely through the “eyes” of your own society
Define Cultural Relativism
Recognizing that cultures differ, and can be evaluated only according to their own standards and values
What are the five cultural explanations of disease?
- Body Balances
- Bio-Medical
- Emotional
- Supernatural
- Sexual
What does the cultural explanation of BODY BALANCES entail?
- Temperature
- Energy
- Blood
- Dislocation
- Problems with organs
- Incompatibility of horoscopes
What does the cultural explanation of BIO-MEDICAL entail?
- Infectious agents
- Unhealthy behaviors
- Environmental exposure
- “Mechanic” approach
What does the cultural explanation of EMOTIONAL entail?
- Fright
- Sorrow
- Envy
- Stress
What does the cultural explanation of SUPERNATURAL entail?
- Bewitching
- Demons
- Spirit possession
- Evil eye
- Offending of god or gods
- Soul loss
What does the cultural explanation of SEXUAL entail?
- Sex with forbidden person
- Overindulgence in sex
- Sex to remove illness
What are the 9 therapeutic techniques based on invasiveness, in order of least invasive to most invasive?
- Meditation
- Talk
- Bioenergetic manipulation
- Massage
- Manipulation
- Insertion
- Ingestion
- Injection
- Surgery
What does the therapeutic technique of MEDITATION entail?
- sitting
* art
What does the therapeutic technique of TALK entail?
• prayer
What does the therapeutic technique of BIOENERGETIC MANIPULATION entail?
- chanting
- touch
- hands-on
- visualization
What does the therapeutic technique of MASSAGE entail?
• massage
What does the therapeutic technique of MANIPULATION entail?
- Bodywork
- Immersion (water/heat)
- Exercise (meditative)
- Dance
- Drumming
What does the therapeutic technique of INSERTION entail?
• acupuncture
What does the therapeutic technique of INJECTION entail?
• pharmaceuticals
What does the therapeutic technique of SURGERY entail?
- major surgery
* minor surgery
What are some environmental impacts of tobacco?
- Wood is used to cure tobacco, and an estimated 494,000 acres of forest are cut down each year
- Tobacco leeches nutrients from the soil, requiring more fertilizer use; runoff from fields pollutes watershed vital for drinking water
- Cigarette butts are a major source of litter
How many chemicals are in a single cigarette, and what are some examples?
4,000 chemicals, some of which are toxic and carcinogenic. • formaldehyde • benzene • polonium-210 • vinyl chloride • carbon monoxide • hydrogen cyanide • butane • ammonia • toluene • cadmium • lead • arsenic • chromium
Define Epidemic
The occurrence in a community or region of a group of illnesses of similar nature clearly in excess of normal expectancy
Define Endemic
The constant presence of a disease or infectious agent within a given geographic area, or the usual prevalence of a disease within such an area.
What percentage of people infected with West Nile Virus don’t develop any symptoms?
about 80%
What percentage of people develop West Nile Fever, and what are their symptoms?
about 20% • headaches • body aches • fever • skin rashes • swollen lymph glands
How many people develop West Nile encephalitis, meningitis, or West Nile poliomyelitis, and what can their symptoms include?
about 1 in 150 • fever • stupor • disorientation • coma • tremors • convulsions • weakness • paralysis
__ out of ___ college students are overweight or obese
3 out of 10
__ out of ___ college students don’t eat the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
9 out of 10
__ out of ___ college students don’t get 30 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 times per week
6 out of 10
What are the work-related physical activity trends for the United Kingdom?
- It’s more common to own second cars and labor-saving appliances
- As of 2005, 39% of men worked in active jobs (a 4% decrease from 1991-1992)
What are the work-related physical activity trends for China?
- From 1991-2006, work-related physical activity dropped by roughly 35% in men and 46% in women
- Physical activity around the house decreased by 66%
- Transportation-related physical activity has decreased
What are the four steps of emergency preparedness?
- Prevent
- Protect against
- Respond to
- Recover
What populations are at risk for heat vulnerability?
- individuals over 65,especially those who live alone
- children
- individuals with pre-existing conditions
- individuals taking certain medications
What are some additional risk factors for heat vulnerability?
- no air conditioning
- low socioeconomic status
- living in urban areas (urban heat island effect)
- living in a topmost floor of a building
- living alone and lacking social or family ties
- prolonged exposure to heat and sun
What are the most commonly cited barriers toward vaccination?
- unsuccessful first attempt to receive vaccination
- structural (Hispanic)
- fear (Hispanic)
- less likely to visit healthcare provider for sole purpose of vaccination (African American and Hispanic)
What are the most commonly cited attitudes toward vaccinations?
- traditional healthcare beliefs (Hmong)
- beliefs about side effects and inconvenience most influential
- belief that influenza vaccines cause illness is a commonly held belief (African American)
- Hispanics have significantly lower rates of opposition toward vaccination compared to all other racial/ethnic populations
What is risk communication?
Risk communication is used when people need good, reliable information to make sound choices. Risk communication embodies a commitment to accuracy and an avoidance of spin.
What characteristics should risk communication have?
- contain all the information needed for effective decision making
- be accessible
- be understandable
Define undernutrition
Nutritional deficiency resulting from lack of food or from the inability of the body to convert or absorb it
Define malnutrition
Lack of proper nutrition; inadequate or unbalanced nutrition
What is the two-way relationship between infection/disease and nutrition?
- Infections affect ability to eat and/or absorb food
* Poor nutrition reduces immunity (increases susceptibility and length of infections)
Define infant mortality
The number of infant deaths within the first year of life for every 1,000 live births
Where does the US lie with infant mortality in comparison with other developed countries?
The US ranks 27th in infant mortality, with 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.
• Ranks under the Slovak Republic, Poland
• Ranks above Chile, Turkey, Mexico
What are the short term health concerns associated with low birth weight?
- respiratory distress
- increased risk of infection (nutrition cycle connection!)
- difficulty keeping warm
- problems with feeding
What are the long term health concerns associated with low birth weight?
- heart problems (heart disease)
- chronic lung disorders and respiratory issues
- subnormal growth
- obesity
- cognitive issues (particularly around cognition and attention)
- psychological well-being (behavioral issues such as hyperactivity, more issues with peers, etc.)
- sleep apnea
- hearing loss
What are three missed opportunities for preventing HIV perinatal transmission?
- lack of prenatal care (or lack of good prenatal care)
- late maternal diagnosis (after infant is born)
- lack of treatment with antiretroviral medication
