nr 283 pathophysiology chamberlain college of nursing
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NR 283 Patho Exam 1 Study Guide
CHAPTER 1
Pathophysiology the study of functional or physiologic changes in the body
that result from disease processes.
Characteristics of disease- review all
•Pathogenesis refers to the development of the disease or the sequence of events
involved in the tissue changes related to the specific disease process.
•The onset of a disease may be sudden and obvious or acute; for example,
gastroenteritis with vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea; or the onset may be insidious,
best described as a gradual progression with only vague or very mild signs.
Hepatitis may manifest quietly in this way. There may be several stages in the
development of a single disease.
•An acute disease indicates a short-term illness that develops very quickly with
marked signs such as high fever or severe pain; for example, acute appendicitis.
•A chronic disease is often a milder condition developing gradually, such as
rheumatoid arthritis, but it persists for a long time and usually causes more
permanent tissue damage. Often a chronic disease is marked by intermittent acute
episodes.
•A subclinical state exists in some conditions in which pathologic changes occur,
but no obvious manifestations are exhibited by the patient, perhaps because of the
great reserve capacity of some organs. For example, kidney damage may progress
to an advanced stage of renal failure before symptoms are manifested.
,•An initial latent or “silent” stage, in which no clinical signs are evident,
characterizes some diseases. In infectious diseases this stage may be referred to as
the incubation period, which is the time between exposure to the microorganism
and the onset of signs or symptoms; it may last for a day or so or may be
prolonged, perhaps for days or weeks. Often the disease agent may be
communicable during this incubation period.
•The prodromal period comprises the time in the early development of a disease
when one is aware of a change in the body, but the signs are nonspecific; for
example, fatigue, loss of appetite, or headache. A sense of feeling threatened often
develops in the early stage of infections. Laboratory tests are negative during the
prodromal period; thus it is difficult to confirm a diagnosis.
•The manifestations of a disease are the clinical evidence or effects, the signs and
symptoms, of disease. These manifestations, such as redness and swelling, may
be local, or found at the site of the problem. Or signs and symptoms may
be systemic, meaning they are general indicators of illness, such as fever.
•Signs are objective indicators of disease that are obvious to someone other than
the affected individual. Examples of a sign are a fever or a skin rash.
•Symptoms are subjective feelings, such as pain or nausea. Both signs and
symptoms are significant in diagnosing a particular problem.
•Lesion is the term used to describe a specific local change in the tissue. Such a
change may be microscopic, as when liver cells are examined for pathologic
change, or highly visible, such as a blister or pimple observed on the skin.
•A syndrome is a collection of signs and symptoms, often affecting more than one
organ, that usually occur together in response to a certain condition.
,•Diagnostic tests are laboratory tests that assist in the diagnosis of a specific
disease. The appropriate tests are ordered on the basis of the patient's
manifestations and medical history, the clinical examination, and the patient's
answers to specific questions. These tests may also be used for monitoring the
response to treatment or the progress of the disease. Such tests may involve
chemical analysis of body fluids such as blood, examination of tissues and cells
from specimens (e.g., biopsies or body secretions), identification of
microorganisms in body fluids or tissue specimens, or radiologic examination of
the body. It is important that medical laboratories have a Quality Assurance (QA)
program in place to ensure accurate test results. Also, it is often helpful for a
patient to have any future or repeated tests done by the same laboratory to provide
a more accurate comparison of results.
•Remissions and exacerbations may mark the course or progress of a disease.
During a remission, the manifestations of the disease subside, whereas during an
exacerbation the signs increase. Rheumatoid arthritis typically has periods of
remission when pain and swelling are minimal, alternating with acute periods
when swelling and pain are severe.
•A precipitating factor is a condition that triggers an acute episode, such as a
seizure in an individual with a seizure disorder. Note that a precipitating factor
differs from a predisposing factor. For example, a patient may be predisposed to
coronary artery disease and angina because of a high-cholesterol diet. An angina
attack can be precipitated by shoveling snow on a very cold day.
•Complications are new secondary or additional problems that arise after the
original disease begins. For example, following a heart attack, a person may
develop congestive heart failure, a complication.
, •Therapy or therapeutic interventions are treatment measures used to promote
recovery or slow the progress of a disease. These measures may include surgery,
drugs, physiotherapy, alternative therapies or behavior modification (see Chapter
3).
•Sequelae describe the potential unwanted outcomes of the primary condition,
such as paralysis following recovery from a stroke.
•Convalescence or rehabilitation is the period of recovery and return to the normal
healthy state; it may last for several days or months.
Systemic signs of disease
Include signs and symptoms common to significant infections in any area of the
body. Fever, fatigue and weakness, headache, and nausea are all commonly
associated with infection.
Disease Prevention- (Primary prevention examples)
Primary Prevention
The goal is to protect healthy people from developing a disease or experiencing an
injury in the first place. For example:
•Education about good nutrition, the importance of regular exercise, and the
dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs
•Education and legislation about proper seatbelt and helmet use
•Regular exams and screening tests to monitor risk factors for illness
•Immunization against infectious disease
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