Surveillance Flashcards
(18 cards)
Who is Ignaz Semmelweiss?
A physician known for his work on handwashing and childbed fever
Semmelweiss highlighted the importance of hygiene in preventing infections during childbirth.
What was the difference between physicians and midwives in the 1800s Vienna?
Physicians performed autopsies without handwashing before delivering babies
This practice contributed to higher mortality rates in mothers.
What disease did Semmelweiss study, leading to a handwashing policy?
Child bed fever
His findings linked the lack of hand hygiene to increased infection rates.
What role did Alex Langmuir play at the CDC?
He was involved in the Epidemic Intelligence Service
Langmuir contributed to public health surveillance and response to outbreaks.
What was the Cutter incident related to?
A polio vaccine incident where a live virus was not killed
This incident raised concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness.
What is the purpose of the World Health Assembly?
To oversee global surveillance of communicable diseases
The assembly plays a key role in international public health policy.
What are the milestones in Public Health Surveillance?
1902: Reporting of infectious diseases; 1947: Malaria in War Areas Program; 1968: WHA; 1977: last smallpox case
These milestones reflect significant developments in disease monitoring.
What does CSTE stand for?
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
CSTE provides guidance on reportable diseases to state health departments.
What is the process for reportable diseases?
States decide based on CSTE suggestions
This includes identifying suspected cases and lab confirmations.
What is one use of surveillance in public health?
To portray the natural history of disease
Example: Tracking COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Fill in the blank: Surveillance can help detect _______.
[epidemics]
An example is the detection of meningococcal infections.
What was the 2014 measles outbreak related to?
Failure to vaccinate children with the measles vaccine
This outbreak highlighted the consequences of low vaccination rates.
What are the attributes of surveillance?
- Sensitivity
- Specificity
- Positive predictive value
These attributes determine the effectiveness of surveillance systems.
What is passive surveillance?
Provider initiated, inexpensive, and easy but has low sensitivity
It is useful for identifying trends but may not represent the population accurately.
What distinguishes active surveillance from passive surveillance?
Health department contacts providers, making it more sensitive and data-rich
Active surveillance is more labor-intensive and costly.
What is sentinel surveillance?
Using representative sites for data collection
An example is the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP).
What is the SEER program?
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results
SEER is a cancer registry used for both surveillance and research.
What is a key method for disseminating public health data?
CDC MMWR
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is a primary source for public health information.
