2. State the World Health Organization definition of health
State a definition of pathophysiology
Characterize the disease process in terms of etiology, pathogenesis,
morphology, clinical manifestations, and prognosis
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3. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 defined health as a
“state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”
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4. A disease has been defined as any deviation from or interruption of
the normal structure or function of a part, organ, or system of the
body that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms or signs;
the etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown.
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5. Diseases are conveniently classified into the following groups
Congenital and Hereditary Diseases
Inflammatory Diseases
Degenerative Diseases
Metabolic Diseases
Neoplastic Diseases
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6. The causes of disease are known as etiologic factors.
Biologic agents (e.g., bacteria, viruses).
Physical forces (e.g., trauma, burns, radiation).
Chemical agents (e.g., poisons, alcohol).
Nutritional excesses or deficits.
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7. Risk Factors:
The multiple factors that predispose to a particular disease often are
referred to as risk factors.
Most disease states do not have a single cause.
Instead, these diseases are multifactorial in origin. This is
particularly true of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and
diabetes.
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8. The term pathophysiology, may be defined as the physiology of
altered health.
The term combines the words pathology and physiology.
Pathology (from the Greek pathos, meaning “disease”) deals with the
study of the structural and functional changes in cells, tissues, and
organs of the body that cause or are caused by disease. Physiology
deals with the functions of the human body.
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9. Disease can be manifest in a number of ways. Signs and symptoms
are terms used to describe the structural and functional changes that
accompany a disease.
A sign is a manifestation that is noted by an observer. An elevated
temperature, a swollen extremity, and changes in pupil size are
objective signs that can be observed by someone other than the
person with the disease.
A symptom is a subjective complaint that is noted by the person
with a disorder. Pain, difficulty in breathing, and dizziness are
symptoms of a disease.
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10. The determination of the nature and cause of a patients illness by a
physician or other health practitioner is called diagnosis (e.g.,
bacterial pneumonia or haemorrhagic stroke).
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11. The clinical course describes the evolution of a disease. A disease
can have an acute, or chronic course.
An acute disorder is one with sudden onset often requiring urgent
treatment.
Chronic disease implies a continuous, long-term process.
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12. After the diagnosis has been established, a course of treatment is
initiated. There are two types of treatment: specific treatment and
symptomatic treatment.
1. Specific treatment exerts a highly specific and favourable effect
on the basic cause of the disease.
2. Symptomatic treatment makes the patient more comfortable by
alleviating symptoms but does not influence the course of
underlying disease.
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13. Crowley, L. (2012). An introduction to human disease: Pathology and pathophysiology
correlations. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Pooler, C. (2009). Porth pathophysiology: concepts of altered health states. Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins.
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