epidemiology Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is Epidemiology?
Study of disease in populations, including patterns, causes, and control of disease.
Who hypothesized that disease might be associated with the physical environment?
Hippocrates (400 BC)
What significant contribution did John Graunt make in 1662?
First to employ quantitative methods in describing population vital statistics.
What did John Snow formulate in 1850?
Natural epidemiological experiment to test the hypothesis that cholera was transmitted by contaminated water.
What research design did Doll & Hill use in 1950?
Case-control design to describe and test the association between smoking and lung cancer.
What was the focus of the formal field trial conducted by Frances et al. in 1950?
Poliomyelitis vaccine in school children.
What study design did Dawber et al. use in the Framingham Heart Study?
Cohort design to study risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
What are the three components of the Epidemiological Triad?
- Pathogen
- Host
- Environment
Why is Epidemiology important?
- Identifying risk factors
- Understanding demographics
- Sociological influences
- Agricultural influences
- Monitoring infection expansion
- Evaluating containment strategies
- Addressing treatment issues
What does EARSS stand for?
European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System.
What is the primary purpose of EARSS?
Provide reference data on antimicrobial resistance for public health purposes.
How many public health laboratories contribute to EARSS?
800 public health laboratories.
Since when has the EARSS program been collecting data?
Since January 1999.
What is one of the remits of EARSS?
- Collect comparable and validated AMR data
- Analyse trends in time and place
- Provide timely AMR data for policy decisions
- Encourage implementation of national AMR surveillance programmes
List seven indicator bacteria monitored by EARSS.
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Enterococcus faecium
- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
What is a key reason for antibiotic resistance surveillance?
Defining/updating treatment guidelines.
Name one type of intervention for antibiotic usage.
- Review/recommend changes to antibiotic therapy
- Expert approval of restricted drugs
- General education (academic detailing, lectures, posters)
- Removal/restriction of specific antimicrobials
- Reminders
- Antibiotic guidelines
- Antibiotic order form for restricted drugs
- Audit and feedback
Why is it important to intervene in antibiotic usage?
- To improve patient care and outcomes
- Health economics - to save money
- Preservation of antimicrobial usefulness
What is the economic impact of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms in the UK?
Costs the NHS ~£1 billion.
What has slowed down in the past 20 years regarding antimicrobial agents?
Development of new antimicrobial agents.
What role does microbiology diagnostics play?
Clinical support and advice, laboratory diagnosis of infection.
Why were there lockdowns during the pandemic?
To manage infection spread pre-vaccine and pre-Omicron.
Fill in the blank: Lockdowns were implemented _______.
[pre-vaccine and pre-Omicron]
True or False: There was a lockdown for Omicron.
False
