SFBH S6 Flashcards
Whats epidemiology?
- Study of disease
- Science of prevention
- Systematic and ongoing collection, collation, analysis and interpretation of data
What do Epidemiologists do?
study how often diseases occur in different groups of people and ask why
o Work supports vaccination programs for controlling infectious diseases
o Investigate risk factors for non-infectious diseases i.e. lung cancer
What are descriptive studies?
o Show patterns of distribution of disease in population
What are analytical studies?
o Planned investigations planned to test specific hypotheses
What are intervention studies?
o Measure effectiveness and safety of interventions i.e. clinical trials
Lung cancer is?
• Cause: abnormal growth of cells in lungs
Lung Cancer in relation to Epidemology studies?
• Collection and analysis of epidemiological data increased knowledge of disease
• Australian Cancer Council & State Cancer Councils collect and report on incidence, mortality, prevalence and survival
• 5th most common cancer in Australia
• 8000 Australians diagnosed each year
• 1 in 33 Australians will develop lung cancer by age of 75
• Studies shown variation in disease for factors such as age, sex, regional area and occupation
o Long-term data collection indicates trends or changes in factors over time
o Trends in incidence reflect change in smoking habits
o Last 10 years: Incidence in males fallen BUT risen in females
What has the NSW cancer found about lung cancer in relation to smoking?
Smoking major cause of lung cancer
Workers exposed to industrial substances i.e. asbestos significantly higher risk of developing lung cancer
Link between passive smoking and lung cancer
2003 – Lung cancer leading cause of cancer-related deaths in males
Name an inherited disease
Down’s syndrome
Give a description on Down Syndrome
• Caused by an additional chromosome 21
• Suffer mental retardation
• Poor muscle tone
• Appearance almond shaped eyes, shorter limbs, protruding tongue
• Higher risk of congenital heart defects
Recurrent ear infections
• More common in babies born to older mothers
• Believed to be linked to mistakes in gamete production
What are some non-infectious diseases?
Down’s syndrome, Anorexia Nervosa and Mesothelioma
Whats an inherited disease?
Caused by genetic factors
Whats a nutritional disease?
When there is a lack of a vital component in diet
Whats an environmental disease?
Disease caused by environmental factors, such as high stress levels, noise, drugs and pollutants
Name a nutritional disease.
Anorexia Nervosa
Give a description of Anorexia Nervosa
- Caused by deliberate under-eating
- Psychiatric disease
- Dangerous long-term effects on health
- Can be fatal
Give an example of an environmental disease.
Mesothelioma
give a description of Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos
- No symptoms until 20-30 years after exposure
- No cure
- Treatment can only slow down progression of disease
What is the occurrence of lung cancer?
- 2011: most common cause of cancer death in Australia – 18.8% of all cancer deaths
- 9200 (65% males 35% females) diagnosed every year
- 2014: 11500 Australians predicted to be diagnosed
- 2009: average age first diagnosis = 71 men 69.9 women
What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
- New/persistent cough
- Persistent chest infection
- Breathlessness
- Unexplained weight loss
- Recurring pneumonia and bronchitis
- Excessive fatigue
Whats the cause of Lung Cancer?
- Growth of abnormal cells
- Cause not completely understood, but multiple factors could lead to
- Smoking: 87% of death via lung cancer
- Exposure to passive smoking increase non-smoker’s risk by 30%
- Exposure to asbestos seven times more likely to develop mesothelioma
What are the surgery options in relation to Lung cancer when in treatment?
Lobectomy, Pneumonectomy, Wedge resection
Whats a Lobectomy?
When a lobe of the lung is removed
Whats a Pneumonectomy?
One whole lung is removed
Whats a wedge resection?
When only part of the lung, not lobe is removed.
What are some treatments for Lung Cancer?
- Radiotherapy: use of x-rays to kill cancer cells
- Brachytherapy: small tube placed in trachea near tumours to suppress growth
- Chemotherapy: use of aggressive cytotoxic drugs to prevent cells multiplying
- Targeted therapy: use of specific drugs to ‘switch off’ mutations and restrict cancer growth
What are some management techniques in Lung Cancer?
- Pain relief medication: help clear phlegm in lungs
- Exercise: help speed recovery
- Pulmonary rehabilitation: improve breathing and confidence living with one lung
- Regular chest x-rays: check sufficient function of lungs
- Tablet chemotherapy: administered after chemotherapy
- Palliative care: prevent, manage and relieve symptoms of treatment and disease
When discussing quarantine in preventing the spread of disease and plants and animals, what factor does Australia’s isolation play?
• Australia’s isolation helps prevent introduction of some plant and animal diseases
o Only effective with quarantine services at every entry point into the country
Discuss the role of quarantine in preventing the spread of disease and plants and animals into Australia or across regions of Australia
• Quarantine regulations prevented entry of foot and mouth disease disease can devastate livestock industry
• Some areas in Australia free of certain viruses e.g. bunchy top virus in bananas
o Movement of fruit & plant material across Australian regions restricted by quarantine laws to prevent the spread of disease
• Quarantine regulations apply to importations, customs at airports and shipping terminals
North Head Quarantine station in 1828-1984 did what?
o Helped prevent entry of plague, cholera, typhus fever, typhoid fever, yellow fever, small pox and leprosy
o During outbreaks of small pox centre used to isolate victims prevented the spread of disease
Before quarantine what happened?
many plants and animal pests introduced into Australia without consideration of impact
o Result: problems with rabbits, foxes, feral pigs and camels
Whats something problematic about Quarantine?
• Quarantine works well for diseases with short-incubations period, but not well for long-incubation period diseases
“Process and analyse information from secondary sources to evaluate the effectiveness of quarantine in preventing the spread of plant and animal disease into Australia or across regions of Australia”
Give an example where quarantine was effective?
• Fire blight
Whats the deal with Fire Blight and Quarantine?
Bacterial disease effects pears, apples and other ornamental plants
Native for North America BUT has spread to Europe, Middle East, Central America and New Zealand
Strict quarantine in Australia controlling entry of any plant material that could be carrying disease prevented spread of disease
o Effectiveness of program will show if disease enters with apples imported from New Zealand
“Process and analyse information from secondary sources to evaluate the effectiveness of quarantine in preventing the spread of plant and animal disease into Australia or across regions of Australia”
Give an example where quarantine was ineffective?
Equine Influenza
Whats the deal with Equine Influenza and Quarantine?
Quarantine blamed for its rapid spread through horses in NSW and QLD in Aug 2007
Originally detected at Eastern Creek
Despite that all horses were detained and tested disease rapidly spread
Extremely contagious could be spread on human clothes
Quarantine originally detected virus and restricted horse movement BUT failed to prevent the spread of the disease
Perform an investigation to examine plant shoots and leaves and gather first-hand information of evidence of pathogens and insect pests
Name and aim…
Aim: To observe plant shoots and leaves and detect evidence of pathogens and insect pests
Create a method for this Aim… “To observe plant shoots and leaves and detect evidence of pathogens and insect pests”
Method: Collect a range of garden plants and observe using microscope
What are some results to this method? “Collect a range of garden plants and observe using microscope”
- Old Lilly-Pilly: lumps on leaves called pimple gall deformed growth
- Kangaroo Paw Plants: black inky marks on leaves evidence of fungus that occurs in moist conditions
Whats a conclusion to the investigation “Collect a range of garden plants and observe using microscope”
Conclusion: Discolouration of leaves, deformation of leaves, irregular shaped leaves, furry white growth on base of shoots evidence of insects and pathogens
Explain how public health programs have controlled and/or prevented disease
Design to raise public awareness
Influence people to make lifestyle changes that improve their health
Assist in early detection of diseases
Help control and prevent disease by strategies directed at the pathogen, the host and the environment
Increasing emphasis on preventing disease rather than curing disease
Laws requiring governments to keep track of occurrence of certain diseases e.g. AIDS have helped stop spread need to be isolated or quarantined
Name two campaigns that have helped control and/or prevented disease
“Slip Slop Slap” Campaign and “Grim Reaper Campaign”
Quick facts about ‘slip, slop, slap’?
Prevent skin cancer
AUS & NZ highest rates of skin cancer in the world
>30 Aussies die each week from skin cancer
Use song to raise awareness and achieve purpose
Quick Facts about “Grim Reaper 1987”
Campaign against AIDS
Raised awareness of the dangers of contracting AIDS
Promotion of contraception
Use confronting images to raise awareness and achieve purpose
Gather and process information and use available evidence to discuss the changing methods of dealing with plant and animal diseases, including the shift in emphasis from treatment and control to management or prevention of disease
Shift from TREATMENT & CONTROL TO MANAGEMENT OR PREVENTION
• There has been a shift from waiting for a disease to occur to preventing the occurrence of a disease before it infects
o Agriculture: genetically resistant crops are grown don’t have to spray pesticides for diseases later in life
• Animal and plant diseases managed by Australian quarantine restrictions
o Diseases e.g. foot and mouth, rabies – managed by not allowing infected organisms
• Worldwide immunisation against small pox disease eradicated
What are some measures that treat only?
Pesticides, Biological control and Medication (antibiotics)
What are the advantages of pesticides?
Destroy organisms that damage crops or garden plants, or cause disease in animals
What are the disadvantages of pesticides?
Organisms could form resistance to disease which would prove their eventual ineffectiveness
What are the advantages of Biological Control?
Controls pests using other living organisms doesn’t harm environment
What are the disadvantages of Biological Control?
Pest may become resistant to the parasite or organism
What are the advantages of Antibiotics and medication?
Eradicate diseases through topical or tablet form
What are the disadvantages of Antibiotics and Medication?
With overuse people could form resistance to antibiotics, and therefore we may run out of antibiotics
Name some measures of dealing with animal and plant diseases already focusing on management and prevention
Public Health Programs, Transgenic Species, Quarantine Restrictions
What are the advantages of Public Health Programs?
Helps maintain disease free communities
What are the advantages of Transgenic Plant Species?
Plants are automatically resistant to pests and disease
What are the advantages of Quarantine Restrictions?
Prevent spread of disease by prevention of organisms infected with foot and mouth, or rabies, from entering the country
What are the disadvantages of Quarantine Restrictions?
Annoying
Owners have to abandon their animals
What are the disadvantages of Transgenic Plant Species?
No variation in the population
What are the disadvantages of Public Health Programs?
Only promote
Not legally binding or compulsory
