Intro to Pathophysiology Flashcards
Anatomy
Study of structure
Physiology
Study of function
Patho
Prefix meaning disease
Disease
a disorder of structure or function
Pathophysiology
functional changes that result from disease
Disorder
lack of normal functioning of physical or mental process
Disease vs. Disorder
Diseases are disorders, disorders are not diseases
Can diseases result from infection?
Yes! But they don’t have to
Infection
Microbes that infect body tissue
Can an infection cause a disease
Yes! But it doesn’t have to
Infectious diseases
Caused by microorganisms called pathogens
Kinds of pathogens
fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoans, worms, etc.
Are infectious diseases communicable?
Yes!
Communicable?
spread from person to person
Examples of infectious diseases
Influenza, pink eye, tuberculosis, chlamydia, malaria, herpes, chicken pox, strep throat, urinary tract infection
Non-infectious diseases
Not caused by pathogenic agents
What is a pathogenic agent/ pathogen?
microb that causes diseases
Are non-infectious diseases communicable?
No!
What can cause a non-infectious disease?
genetics, environment, nutrition, lifestyle patterns, etc
Examples of Noninfectious diseases
Cancer, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Alzheimer’s, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, etc.
Risk factors
Characteristic or behavior that raises a person’s chances of getting a disease
Two types of risk factors
Predisposing Factors and Precipitating Factors
Precipitating factors
A specific event or trigger to onset of current problem (the straw that broke the camel’s back)
Predisposing Factors
Substance, event, characteristics or condition that contributes to disease onset
Examples of Predisposing Factors
Genetics, trauma, substance use, etc
Signs of disease
Objective evidence seen by doctor (visible, can be quanitified)
Symptoms
subjective and describes how patient feels (no visual, can’t be measured
Syndrome
Collection of symptoms, signs, and data
Examples of Signs
abnormal heartbeat, red lesion, high blood pressure, fever
Examples of symptoms
headache, pain, nausea, dizziness, itching
Diagnosis
Process of identification of a disease or disorder
Prognosis
Prediction or estimate of the expected outcome of a health condition or treatment
Treatment
Management and care to combat disease
Prevention
Any action to prevent or reduce risk of poor health, injury, illness, or death
