Lecture 2 - Introduction to disease II

Question 1

Pathway from specimen to diagnosis

Answer 1

Specimen removed -> specimen received in lab -> opening by pathologist -> fixation -> cut up specimen -> specimen in paraffin -> sectioning -> slide -> diagnosis on microscope

Question 2

Disease =

Answer 2

An impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

Question 3

Health =

Answer 3

a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease

Question 4

6 characteristics of disease

Answer 4

1. Epidemiology
2. Aetiology
3. Pathogenesis
4. Morphological changes
5. Clinical manifestations
6. Prognosis

Question 5

Epidemiology =

Answer 5

how often diseases occur in different groups and why

Question 6

What does epidemiology recognise?

Answer 6

Associations

Question 7

When are associations likely to be causal?

Answer 7

Biologically plausible, disease is associated with prior exposure, dose relationship, removal of factor lessens the risk

Question 8

Incidence =

Answer 8

number of new cases in a specified population and time

Question 9

Prevalence =

Answer 9

number of individuals affected in a given population at a specified point in time

Question 10

Mortality =

Answer 10

crude death rate

Question 11

Prognosis =

Answer 11

likely outcome of an illness

Question 12

Aetiology =

Answer 12

Cause of disease

Question 13

8 causes of disease

Answer 13

1. Genetic factors
2. Infection
3. Chemical agents
4. Physical agents
5. Immunological factors
6. Metabolic causes
7. Drugs
8. Environmental factors

Question 14

Pathogenesis =

Answer 14

mechanism by which a disease is caused

Question 15

What does the prognosis depend on?

Answer 15

Diagnosis, Stage and host factors