Exam 2 Flashcards
TOXICOLOGY
Toxicology is the basic science that studies the health effects associated with chemical exposures. Its corollary in health care is pharmacology, which studies the human health effects, both desirable and undesirable, associated with drugs. In toxicology, only the negative effects of chemical exposures are studied.
First step to understanding the potential environmental health risks in a community
A windshield survey
consumer confidence report (CCR)
a report that began in 1996 when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to add a provision that required all community water systems to deliver a brief annual water quality report to their customers. The CCR includes information on the water source, the levels of any detected contaminants, and compliance with drinking water rules, plus some educational material. The rationale for these reports is that consumers have a right to know what is in their drinking water. The reports help consumers make informed choices that affect their health.
Who is responsible for testing water provided for the community?
The Water Provider
Why should nurses review consumer confidence reports and what are they sometimes referred to as?
- to determine what pollutants have been found in the drinking water
- sometimes referred to as right-to-know reports
Strategy to reduce risks of exposures to potentially hazardous chemicals in the workplace
Three R’s for Reducing Environmental Pollution
- Reduce: Reducing consumption reduces waste and unnecessary packaging and nonessentials.
- Reuse: Choosing reusable rather than disposable products creates less waste (e.g., using glass dishes rather than paper ones).
- Recycle: Recycling paper, glass, cans, and plastic decreases pollution.
Levels of Prevention Related to the Environment
PRIMARY PREVENTION–To prevent lead poisoning, instruct families not to use lead-based paint. If such paint has been used, instruct them in removing it and repainting with a non-lead-based paint.
SECONDARY PREVENTION– Identify any household members whose blood lead level is rising.
TERTIARY PREVENTION– Initiate treatment for lead poisoning that will reduce blood lead levels.
PRIMARY PREVENTION
Prevent exposure
SECONDARY PREVENTION
Screening to find out degree of exposure
TERTIARY PREVENTION
Treatment for any who have sustained an environmental exposure
A poor person of color is more likely to:
(1) live near a hazardous waste site or an incinerator, (2) have children who are lead poisoned, and (3) have children with asthma, which has a strong association with environmental exposures.
environmental justice
Campaigns in communities of color and poor communities to improve the unequal burden of environmental risks or environmental equity
incidence rate
quantifies the rate of development of new cases in a population at risk
prevalence proportion
a measure of existing disease in a population at a particular time (i.e., the number of existing cases divided by the current population)
attack rate
the proportion of persons who are exposed to an agent and develop the disease. Attack rates are often specific to an exposure; food-specific attack rates, for example, are the proportion of persons becoming ill after eating a specific food item.
