Week 11

Question 1

What is Epidemiology

Answer 1

EPI = on top of, or upon
DEMOS = people
LOGOS = the study of

Question 2

Epidemiologists

Answer 2

• concerned about the collective health of the people in a community or population
• Focus on identifying the source that caused the illness
• the number of other persons who may have been similarly exposed
• the potential for further spread in the community
• interventions to prevent additional cases or recurrences

Question 3

Epidemiology can be

Answer 3

Descriptive or Analytical

Question 4

Descriptive

Answer 4

• person: who is affected?
• place: are there areas that are more impacted?
• time: what is the timeframe of interest

Question 5

Analytical

Answer 5

• what are the causes or risk factors for the disease or condition

Question 6

Role of registered nurses

Answer 6

• NURSE EPIDEMIOLOGIST
• COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SPECIALIST
• OUTREACH
• HEALTH EDUCATION
• IMMUNIZATION
• INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
• INTERSECTION WITH ACUTE CARE
• EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

Question 7

Future public health epidemiology

Answer 7

• Digital disease surveillance
• Geographic information systems (GIS)
• Advances in genetics/molecular biology
• Emerging and re-emerging diseases
• Reframing issues as public health problems

Question 8

Communicable disease

Answer 8

• an infectious disease transmissible (as from person to person) by direct contact with an affected individual or the individual’s discharges or by indirect means (as a vector)

Question 9

Public Health Role in Communicable Disease

Answer 9

• TB screening and treatment
• Screening and follow-up for communicable disease contacts as irected by the CD unit (contat tracing)
• provide routine immunization programs for all ages
• provide immunizations for special populations (eg immunocompromised)
• report resp and gastro illness outbreaks in local schools

Question 10

Two ways of achieving active immunity

Answer 10

1. Through natural infection (eg Acquiring the disease)
2. Artificially (eg through vaccination)

Question 11

two components of active immunity

Answer 11

humoral and cellular immunity

Question 12

Humor immunity

Answer 12

• mediated by B lymphocytes (B cells)
• B cels react against foreign substances in the body by producing and secreting antibodies (AB)
• Antibodies in the blood and lymph fluids attach to foregin antigens to mark them for destruction and to block them from entering cells

Question 13

Cellular immunity

Answer 13

• mediated by T lymphocytes (T cells)
• purpose to facilitate the elimination of foreign substances
• several types of T cells - Helper cells, cytotoxic cells, suppressor cells

Question 14

Live vaccines

Answer 14

• EMPLOY HUMORAL AND CELLULAR IMMUNITY SIMILAR
  TO THE NATURAL INFECTION
• USUALLY PROVIDE LIFE-LONG IMMUNITY WITH TWO
  DOSES
• EG. MMR, CHICKENPOX

Question 15

Inactivated vaccines

Answer 15

• MOSTLY HUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE
• ANTIBODY LEVELS FALL OVER TIME
• REQUIRE REPEAT DOSES (BOOSTERS)
• EG. TETANUS

Question 16

Immunization Programs

Answer 16

• under ministry of health public health act, health authorities are required to provide immunization programs to reduce or eliminate vaccine preventable diseases in BC
• Recommended programs are based on an extensive consultative process led by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)

Question 17

Public health role in immunization

Answer 17

• complete and maintain immunization competency training through BCCDC (every 3 years)
• follow BCCDC immunization manual
• provide education about vaccines
• Screen eligibility of clients
• obtain informed consent
• monitor clients for adverse events post-immunization
• report adverse events for review by Medical Health Officer and follow-up with client to provide recommendations

Question 18

7 Steps in informed consent

Answer 18

1. Determine authority
2. Assess capability
3. Provide standard information
4. confirm understanding of standard information
5. provide opportunity for questions
6. confirm consent
7. document consent or refusal