Medical Overview Flashcards
A disease that can be spread from one person or species to another.
communicable disease
Occurs when new cases of a disease in a human population substantially exceed the number expected based on recent experience.
epidemic
A common virus that is asymptomatic in 80% of people carrying it, but characterized by small blisters on the lips or genitals in symptomatic infections.
herpes simplex
Awareness that unseen life-threatening injuries or illness may exist.
index of suspicion
A medical condition caused by the growth and spread of small, harmful organisms within the body.
infectious disease
A virus that has crossed the animal/ human barrier and infected humans and that kills thousands of people every year.
influenza
Emergencies that are not caused by an outside force; illnesses or conditions.
medical emergencies
An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord; it is usually caused by a virus or a bacterium.
meningitis
An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord; can be highly contagious.
meningococcal meningitis
A bacterium that can cause infections in different parts of the body and is often resistant to commonly used antibiotics; it is transmitted by different routes, including the respiratory route, and can be found on the skin, in surgical wounds, in the bloodstream, lungs, and urinary tract.
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
The general type of illness a patient is experiencing.
nature of illness (NOI)
An outbreak that occurs on a global scale.
pandemic
Emergencies that are the result of physical forces applied to the body; injuries.
trauma emergencies
A chronic bacterial disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that usually affects the lungs but can also affect other organs such as the brain and kidneys; it is spread by cough and can lie dormant in a person’s lungs for decades and then reactivate.
tuberculosis
The strength or ability of a pathogen to produce disease.
virulence
