Intro to Path Flashcards
Diagnosis
Identification of a specific disease
Etiology
Causative factors in a particular disease
Idiopathic disease
Disease of unknown origin
Iatrogenic disease
Disease occurring due to treatment or medical error
Predisposing factors
Indicates high risk for developing the disease
Prophylaxis
A measure designed to preserve health and prevent disease/spread
Prevention
Preventive measures include vaccinations, dietary or lifestyle modifications, etc.
Pathogenesis
Development of disease/sequence of events in tissue changes
Onset
May be acute - sudden, or insidious - a gradual progression
Acute disease
Short-term illness that develops quickly
Chronic disease
Long-term illness that develops gradually
Subclinical
An illness develops undetected until it reaches a later stage
Latent stage
No clinical signs are evident; such as in an incubation period
Prodromal period
Early stage of disease where there are noticeable symptoms but they are nonspecific
Manifestations
Signs and symptoms or clinical evidence of disease; may be local (at a specific site) or systemic (affecting the body or system overall)
Signs
Objective indicators of disease that are observable by those other than the patient
Symptoms
Subjective manifestations of disease observable by the patient such as pain or nausea
Lesion
Specific, local change in the tissue
Syndrome
Collection of signs and symptoms, usually affecting more than one organ, that occur together in response to a certain condition
Diagnostic tests
Lab testing ordered by physician based on signs and symptoms
Remission
A period or condition in which the manifestations of the disease subside either permanently or temporarily
Exacerbation
A period of worsening in the severity of the disease or in its manifestations
Precipitating Factor
Condition that triggers an acute episode, such as shoveling show leading to an angina attack
Complications
Secondary problems that arise after the original disease begins
Therapy
Treatment measures used to promote recovery or slow the progress of a disease
Sequelae
Potential unwanted outcomes of the primary condition such as paralysis following recovery from a stroke
Convalescence/Rehabilitation
Period of recovery/return to normal healthy state; may last for several days or months
Morbidity
Disease rates within a group
Mortality
Relative number of deaths resulting from a particular disease
Autopsy
Examination of all or part of the body to determine cause of death
Epidemiology
Science of tracking the pattern or occurrence of disease
Occurrence
Tracked by incidence and prevalence
Incidence
Number of new cases in a population within a stated time period
Prevalence
Number of new and old cases within a specific population and time period (always a higher number than incidence)
Epidemic
Characterized by a higher number of cases than expected in a given local area
Pandemic
Characterized by a higher number of cases than expected across the globe
Communicable diseases
Infections that can be spread from one person to another
Notifiable or reportable diseases
Must be reported by the physician to certain designated authorities
Atrophy
Decrease in the size of cells
Hypertrophy
Increase in the size of cells
Hyperplasia
Increased number of cells
Metaplasia
Replacement of one mature cell type by another cell type
Dysplasia
Cells vary in size and shape (may be a precancerous change)
Anaplasia
Refers to cells that are undifferentiated with variable nuclei (usually seen in malignant tumors)
Neoplasia
New growth/tumor
Apoptosis
Programmed cell death
Necrosis
Death of one or more cells or a portion of tissue or organ; result of irreversible damage and not a programmed cell event
Ischemia
Decreased supply of oxygenated blood to a tissue or organ due to circulatory obstruction
Hypoxia
Reduced oxygen in the tissue
Liquefaction necrosis
Cells liquefy via cell enzymes
Coagulative necrosis
Cells retain some form after death due to altered proteins
Fat necrosis
Fatty tissue is broken down into fatty acids due to infection or enzymes
Caseous necrosis
Coagulation necrosis in which a thick, yellowish “cheesy” substance forms
Infarction
An area of dead cells resulting from lack of oxygen
Gangrene
An area of necrotic tissue, usually from lack/loss of blood supply followed by invasion by bacteria
