Understanding pathophysiology CH1 Flashcards
WHAT IS PATHOPHYSIOLOGY?
Pathophysiology is the study of alterations to normal function that result from a disease or disorder.
This altered condition may arise from an abnormal process within the body, or it may be the body’s response to a foreign substance that has entered the body.
WHAT IS ANATOMY?
Anatomy is the study of normal body structure — what the body and individual components look like, and how the body is organised.
WHAT IS PHYSIOLOGY?
Physiology is the study of normal body functions — the activities of the body and how its individual components work.
WHAT IS HOMEOSTASIS?
The body’s way of maintaining relatively constant equilibrium through positive and negative feedback loops
WHAT IS A DISORDER?
A disorder (or condition) refers to disturbances or abnormality of function and indicates incomplete health. (Other general terms that are used include illness and sickness .
WHAT IS SYNDROME?
Syndrome refers to a set of signs and symptoms that occur together and are often specific to a particular syndrome, but usually the actual cause of the syndrome is unknown.
WHAT IS DISEASE?
Disease is a specific term reserved for the characteristic or distinguishing features that correspond to a particular pathophysiological condition.
WHAT IS AETIOLOGY?
The aetiology of a disorder or disease refers to the underlying cause. In some cases, the aetiology may be well known, while in other cases the underlying cause of the illness is poorly understood.
WHAT IS DISEASE ONSET?
The onset of disease refers to how quickly a disease develops; this information usually assists in determining the correct diagnosis
WHAT IS ACUTE DISEASE?
An acute disease or condition usually develops quickly and resolves or heals quickly, but can be mild, severe or even fatal.
WHAT IS CHRONIC DISEASE?
Chronic disease or condition develops more gradually and lasts for a longer time, even a lifetime. Chronic diseases may also recur frequently. Similar to acute diseases, chronic diseases can be mild, severe or fatal.
WHAT IS EPIDEMIOLOGY?
Epidemiology is the study of factors that affect the health of populations and it includes information about each type of disease
WHAT IS INCIDENCE?
The incidence of a disease refers to the number of new cases that have been diagnosed and confirmed; it is usually calculated as the number of cases that are diagnosed within one year.
WHAT IS PREVELANCE?
Prevalence of a disease includes the number of new cases, as well as those who have been diagnosed previously.
WHAT IS MORBIDITY?
The term ‘morbidity’ is often restricted to those disorders that result in a substantial loss of function and therefore present a significant impact on individuals concerned as well as the healthcare system.
WHAT IS COMORBIDITY?
Comorbidity refers to the presence of another disease or condition in the same patient or group of patients.
SUPERIOR
Superior means towards the head;
INFERIOR
inferior means towards the feet.
ANTERIOR
Anterior means towards the front
POSTERIOR
posterior means towards the back