Causes of Disease Flashcards
(27 cards)
Define “disease”
- pattern of response of living organisms to injury (when cells fail to adapt or the adaptive mechanism is harmful, disease results)
- a result of physical/environmental insults (acquired) and/or genetic aberration (inherited/acquired)
“Signs”
- objectively measured/observed by doctor
“Symptoms”
- subjective complaints
- from patient
“Morbidity”
impairment of well-being/normal functioning
“Mortality”
death
Leading cause of death in both Canadian men and women?
Heart disease
Leading cause of cancer death for both sexes?
Lung cancer**
** women’s mortality rates for lung cancer have doubled, while men have declined
Describe the trend for life expectancy
- steadily increased
- females have always been a little higher
“Etiology”
cause of a disease
“Pathogenesis”
development of a disease
the mechanism of the disease
“Pathological and morphological manifestations”
changes in structure and function
“Complications and sequelae”
secondary consequences
“Prognosis”
course of the disease + final outcome
“Epidemiology”
study of disease in population
“Incidence”
of new cases in a given population
“Prevalence”
total # of cases in a population (new + old)
Techniques of Pathology
- gross examination
- light microscopy
- immunohistochemistry (+ immunofluorescence)
- electron microscopy
- molecule pathology (genes)
“Genetic insults”
- vary from single mutations to large chromosome rearrangements
- congenital (at birth) or acquired
Top causes of mortality in Canada
- cardiovascular
- cancer
- cerebrovascular disease
Top causes of morbidity in Canada
- diseases of circulatory system
- GI disease
- Respiratory disease
“idiopathic”
unknown etiology
Examples of physical agents
- mechanical trauma
- temperature
- electrical burns
- radiation
- atmospheric pressure
Chemical Agents
- environmental/industrial exposure
- poisons, toxins, pesticides, organic solvents, heavy metals, strong acids/bases, components in cigarette smoke
“Iatrogenic disease”
adverse condition (unintended injuries/complications) occurring as the result of treatment by a health care professional
