Public Health Flashcards
Give 5 questions used to screen for an occupational health disorder.
a. What type of work do you do?
b. Do you think your health problems might be related to your work?
c. Are your symptoms different at work and at home?
d. Are you exposed to chemicals, dust, metals, noise or repetitive work? Have you been in the past?
e. Are any of your co-workers experiencing similar symptoms?
What are the benefits of work?
- lower mortality
- pay/income
- feelings of accomplishment, better self-esteem and better mental health
- social relationships
- structure to life
- improved fitness
- reduced state benefits
- most patients do not need to be 100% fit before returning to work
What kind of hazards can people be exposed to at work?
- noise
- repetitive work
- dust
- fumes
- chemicals
- other allergens like flour, pollen, mushroom
- metals
- blades and machinery
When is an illness due to work?
- symptoms improve away from work or on holiday
- characteristic distribution of rash eg contact dermatitis
- sensorineural deafness with characteristic pattern on audiogram caused by noise
- a cluster of cases in a workplace
- exposure to hazard can be linked to disease
What is the Bradford Hill criteria?
It is a group of 9 principles that can be used to establish epidemiological evidence of a causal relationship between a presumed cause and an observed effect. Eg. Cigarette smoking and lung cancer.
State 5 principles of the Bradford Hill criteria.
- Strength of association
- Consistency in association
- Specificity
- Temporal relationship
- Coherence of evidence
Give 3 examples of high risk activities for musculoskeletal problems.
- heavy manual handling (>20kg)
- lifting above shoulder height
- fast repetitive work; poor posture; poor grip
Name two work-related causes of carpal tunnel syndrome.
- extremes of flexion-extension of wrist (painters, meat processors)
- hand-transmitted vibration
What is hand-arm vibration syndrome and what causes it?
A cause of secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon. Caused by excessive exposure to hand-transmitted vibration like chain saws, angle grinders, jack hammers and drills.
How does a person with hand-arm vibration syndrome present?
vascular component- blanching
neural component- tingling, numbness and loss of dexterity
Give 2 examples of musculoskeletal disorders caused by forceful and repetitive hand movements.
carpal tunnel syndrome
tenosynovitis
epicondylitis (especially tennis and golf players)
What is repetitive strain disorder and how does one overcome it?
It is used to describe non-specific pain in the hand.
It can be managed with rest breaks, job rotation, reduced force and ergonomically neutral working positions.
Which tendon is usually affected by rotator cuff problems?
supraspinatus tendon
What type of jobs have a high risk of leading to rotator cuff problems?
Jobs which involve heavy manual handling, lifting above shoulder height and throwing.
What is thoracic outlet syndrome?
Pain or tingling down the arm or blanching of fingers related to the posture of the arm, caused by compression of the trunks of the brachial plexus or subclavian artery under the clavicle due to anatomical abnormalities in the neck.
How would you manage osteoarthritis of the hip?
- weight loss, NSAIDs, paracetamol, arthroplasty
- stick in hand contralateral to affected hip or knee
- shoe inserts to correct abnormal biomechanical loading
What conditions are associated with osteoarthritis of the knee?
obesity, trauma and meniscectomy (surgical removal of a torn meniscus)
What measures can you take to help a patient get back to work?
- talk about returning to work
- discuss any barriers
- provide a fit-note
- phased return, restricted duties, workplace modifications
- help regain lost confidence
- enquire if the employer has an occupational health service you can contact with the patient’s consent
Name two findings you would expect to see on an MRI of someone with mechanical back pain.
disc degeneration and bulging discs
What advice would you give a patient with mechanical back pain?
Avoid prolonged inactivity and maintain normal activities within limits of back pain
What factors is mechanical back pain associated with?
heavy manual handling, stooping and twisting whilst lifting, exposure to whole body vibration, psychosocial distress, smoking and dissatisfaction with work
Give examples of neurological infections that can be prevented using vaccines.
Poliomyelitis, tetanus, measles, H. influenzae, meningococcus, tuberculosis
Define epidemiology.
The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to control health problems.
What is clinical epidemiology?
Using information about distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in a clinical setting, especially in diagnosis.
How is a case defined?
Based on clinical, laboratory/imaging and pathological findings.
Give examples of common neurological disorders that are of public health importance.
Migraine headache, stroke, dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.
What are the risk factors for migraine?
age and sex (female)
sex hormones (oral contraceptive)
family history
education, income and socio-economic status
What are the risk factors for stroke?
increasing age sex (male) hypertension (main one) smoking alcohol consumption cardiac disease diabetes mellitus and lipids
What is the current policy on the prevention of dementia?
awareness raising and opportunistic screening for memory loss (as part of NHS health checks)
What factors contribute to the aetiology of epilepsy?
genetic factors febrile seizures head injuries bacterial/parasitic infections viral meningo-encephalitides toxic agents
What is the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease?
1 in 200 over 70 yrs
What is the mean survival for someone with Parkinson’s Disease?
10 - 15 yrs
Is smoking a risk factor for Parkinson’s?
No, it is notably less common in smokers.
What is the most common age of onset for multiple sclerosis?
20-35 yrs
The prevalence of which neurological condition is directly proportional to the distance from the equator?
Multiple sclerosis
Give 2 risk factors for cerebral palsy.
anoxia
low birth weight
What is the average age of onset for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease?
55 to 75 years
What is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?
It is a neurodegenerative disorder- a rapidly progressive dementia with abnormal EEG, cerebellar signs and myoclonus.
What is the peak age of incidence of variant CJD?
27 years
What are the known risk factors of variant CJD?
age (26 yrs)
residence in the UK between 1970 and 1990
methionine homozygosity at codon 129 of the prion protein gene
What is the difference between compliance and adherence?
Compliance is older terminology that assumes that the doctor knows best and hence the patient plays a passive role in their healthcare.
Adherence acknowledges the importance of patient beliefs and follows a more patient-centred approach.
Give examples of non-adherence.
- Not taking prescribed medication.
- Taking bigger/smaller doses than those prescribed.
- Taking medication more or less often than prescribed.
- Stopping the medicine without finishing the course
- Modifying treatment to accommodate other activities
- Continuing with behaviours against medical advice (smoking, drinking alcohol)
What are the two types of reasons for non-adherence?
Unintentional - practical barriers
Intentional - motivational barriers
Give examples of intentional reasons for non-adherence.
patient’s beliefs about their health/condition
patient’s beliefs about their treatment
personal preference
Give examples of unintentional reasons for non-adherence.
difficulty understanding instructions
problems using treatment
inability to pay
forgetting
Give 3 ways non-adherence following organ transplants can be reduced.
better patient selection
more education
simplified medical regimens
What are the two types of key beliefs that influence a patient’s evaluation of prescribed medication?
Necessity beliefs- perceptions of personal need for treatment
Concerns about a range of potential adverse consequences
Describe patient-centred care.
It is a philosophy of care that encourages focus in the consultation on the patient as a whole person who has individual preferences situated in a social context.
It also encourages shared control of the consultation, decisions about interventions or management of health problems with the patient.
Give 4 impacts of good doctor-patient communication.
- Better health outcomes
- High adherence to therapeutic regimens in patients.
- Higher patient and clinician satisfaction.
- Decrease in malpractice risk.
What is concordance?
Concordance is based on the notion that the work of the prescriber and the patient is a negotiation between equals and that there is a respect for the patient’s agenda. So the aim is therefore a therapeutic alliance between them.
List the steps for sharing decision making with the patient.
- define the problem and consider all views
- outline options and consequences
- provide information in preferred format
- check patient’s understanding
- ICE
- check acceptance
- review
What barriers to concordance do patients face?
They may not want to engage in discussion with their doctor as that can make them more worried and they would rather be told what to do.
Name 3 barriers to concordance faced by health professionals.
- relevant communication skills
- time/resources/organisational constraints
- challenging- patient choice vs evidence
What is adherence?
Adherence is the extent to which the patient’s actions match agreed recommendations.
What are the key principles in ensuring adherence?
- improve communication
- increase patient involvement
- understand the patient’s perspective
- provide information
- assess adherence
- review medicines
What ethical considerations must you take into account when discussing patient adherence?
- Mental capacity (Mental capacity act 2005- dementia, severe learning disability, head injury, mental health condition)
- Decision that may be detrimental to a patient’s well-being
- Public health threat (Public Health Act 2010- provides a legal basis to detain and isolate an infectious individual)
- When the patient is a child- Gillick competency and parent involvement
What is obesity?
Abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that may impair health
Name some of the health implications of obesity.
Heart disease sleep apnoea stroke anxiety and depression type 2 diabetes osteoarthritis asthma
Name 4 factors that lead to issues with excess weight.
- accessibility to healthy food
- availability
- affordability
- acceptability
Name the 4 tiers of the UK obesity care pathway and give examples of commissioned services for each.
Tier 1: universal prevention- environmental health promotion
Tier 2: lifestyle intervention- multicomponent weight management
Tier 3: specialist services- multidisciplinary intervention
Tier 4: surgery- bariatric surgery
Give examples of national action taken towards reducing obesity.
- the sugar tax
- mandate calorie and nutritional labelling
- review physical activities in schools
Why is diabetes a public health issue?
- increasing prevalence
- large inequalities
- Lack of effective global, national and local policy
- mortality, co-morbidity, disability, reduced quality of life
What are the stages of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of diabetes?
primary- prevent diabetes
secondary- earlier diagnosis of diabetes
tertiary- effective management and supporting self-management
What lifestyle factors increase the risk of diabetes?
- sedentary lifestyle
- high calorie diet, low in fruit and veg
- obesogenic environment
What contributes to an obesogenic environment?
- physical environment- remotes control, lifts
- economic environment- expensive fruit and veg
- sociocultural environment- safety fears, family eating pattern
What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
age, ethnicity, family history hypertension, vascular disease weight, BMI, waist circumference history of gestational diabetes impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose
What are the currently available screening tests for impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose?
HbA1c random capillary blood glucose random venous blood glucose fasting venous blood glucose oral glucose tolerance test
What is the oral glucose tolerance test?
Medical test for diabetes/insulin resistance in which venous blood glucose measured 2 hours after oral glucose load
What 3 interventions are required in the prevention of diabetes?
- sustained increased physical activity
- sustained change in diet
- sustained weight loss
Describe 3 approaches in diagnosing diabetes earlier.
- raising awareness of the disease and symptoms in the community
- raising awareness of the disease and symptoms in health professionals
- using clinical records to identify those at risk and/or using blood tests to screen before symptoms develop
How is NHS England promoting diabetes prevention?
Healthier You: the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
What does self-care for diabetes involve?
self-monitoring diet exercise drugs education
What are the 4 steps in the prevention of diabetes?
- identify those at risk
- early prevention in those at risk
- diagnosing diabetes earlier
- effective management and self-supporting management
What is substance misuse
The harmful use of any substance for non-medical purposes or effect.
Which s the most commonly misused drug worldwide?
Cannabis
What are the different types of drugs that are misused?
Opiates Depressants Stimulants Cannabinoids Hallucinogens Anaesthetics
What effects do opiates have?
Euphoria, analgesia
What effects do depressants have?
sedation, anxiolytic