Prevention and Screening

Question 1

Primary Prevention

Answer 1

To prevent the initial occurence of disorders by focusing on the risk factor and risk conditions which are associated with, or caused increased susceptibility to specific disease.

An example would be exercising to decrease your risk of a heart attack.

Question 2

Secondary Prevention

Answer 2

Stopping or slowing down the progress of a disease or disorder as soon as possible before medical treatment is required.

For example, putting patients on low-dose aspirin after a heart attack to prevent a second one.

Question 3

Klein’s Triad

Answer 3

Physicians have been shown to:

a) overestimate the actual risk to the patient of the thing to be treated

b) overestimate the absolute risk reduction that the intervention will deliver

c) underestimate the risk that the intervention carries itself

Question 4

Tertiary Prevention

Answer 4

Reducing the occurence of relapses of a chronic disease or disorder. Also, softening the impact caused by the disease on a patient’s function, longevity and quality of life.

Example would be cardiac or stroke rehab programs. The most classic case would be palliative care and harm reduction.

Question 5

Attributable Risk

Answer 5

In epidemiology, attributable risk is the difference in rate of a condition between an exposed population and an unexposed population. Attributable risk is mostly calculated in cohort studies, where individuals are assembled on exposure status and followed over a period of time.

Question 6

Sensitivity

Answer 6

True positive rate.

Proportion of actual positives correctly identified as such.

Question 7

Specificity

Answer 7

True negative rate.

Proportion of actual negatives correctly identified as such.

Question 8

Positive Predictive Value

Answer 8

All the actual positives / total number of positives

* Prevalence of a disease also affects its PPV and NPV.

Question 9

Negative Predictive Value

Answer 9

All of the actual negatives / the total number of negatives.

* Prevalence affects PPV and NPV.

Question 10

Problems With Screening

Answer 10

Screening low-risk patients can cause more harm than good.

Tests with high false-positives will create worries among patients and unnecessary further tests for them and hte health system (breast cancer screening).

Tests with high false-negatives may create false security to patients.

Question 11

Age for Mammogram (Asymptomatic)

Answer 11

50 years old

Question 12

Age for Prostate Exam

Answer 12

When symptomatic

Question 13

PAP Smear Frequency

Answer 13

Every 3 years