Epidemiology

Question 1

Epidemiology definition

Answer 1

study of cause, development and transmission in the human population

Question 2

2 approaches to epidemiology

Answer 2

1. retrospective

2. prospective

Question 3

retrospective epidemiology

Answer 3

look back from outbreak to source

Question 4

John Snow

Answer 4

traced cholera outbreak to fecal contamination

Question 5

Florence Nightingale

Answer 5

traced typhus to lice

Question 6

Semmelweiss

Answer 6

traced uterine infection to doctors handling cadavers before delivering babies

Question 7

prostpective epidemiology

Answer 7

try to predict, recognize, prevent or remove conditions before disease can occur

Question 8

4 disease transmission patterns

Answer 8

1. pandemic
2. epidemic
3. endemic
4. sporadic

Question 9

pandemic

Answer 9

world wide effects, more than one continent

AIDS, flu

Question 10

epidemic

Answer 10

widespread illness with increasing transmission

polio, Chlamydia

Question 11

endemic

Answer 11

illness always present

chicken pox, Lyme disease, Histoplasmosis, cholera

Question 12

sporadic

Answer 12

cases occur occasionally in different locations

tetanus in US

Question 13

5 stages of disease development

Answer 13

1. incubation
2. prodromal period
3. illness
4. decline
5. convalensce

Question 14

incubation

Answer 14

time between infection and onset of symptoms

Question 15

incubation time variables

Answer 15

1. type of pathogen
2. virulence of agent
3. inefective dose
4. health of immune system
5. infection site

Question 16

prodromal period

Answer 16

onset of mild disease symptoms

Question 17

illness

Answer 17

display of classic symptoms of disease

immune system has not fully responded

Question 18

decline

Answer 18

typical symptoms of disease decrease

pathogen declines

Question 19

convalescence

Answer 19

period of recovery

Question 20

two patterns of infection

Answer 20

acute

chronic

Question 21

3 disease prevention techniques

Answer 21

1. reduce, remove or prevent contact with reservoirs
2. prevent or reduce transmission of pathogens
3. immunization of population

Question 22

3 reservoirs

Answer 22

1. humans
2. animals
3. non-living

Question 23

zoonosis

Answer 23

transmission from animals to humans

Question 24

non living reservoir examples

Answer 24

soil, water, milk

Question 25

person to person transmission

Answer 25

1. directly from person to person 2. indirect by fomites, water, food, air 3. respiratory droplets- exhales, sneeze, cough 4. vectors

Question 26

fomites

Answer 26

inanimate object that carries disease-causing organisms

Question 27

prevention efforts to prevent person to person transmission

Answer 27

1. hand washing 2. clean drinking water 3. clean food 4. insect control 5. improved nutrition only airborne pathogens are unavoidable

Question 28

two types of immunization

Answer 28

active | passive

Question 29

active immunizations

Answer 29

antigens stimulate immune syster to produce antibodies and produce memory

Question 30

antigen

Answer 30

surface characteristic of agent

Question 31

antibodies

Answer 31

produced by immune system against the antigen

Question 32

immunogenic vaccines

Answer 32

provide immunity without causing disease | MMR, polio, HiB

Question 33

herd immunity

Answer 33

artificially make population immune to disease by reducing the number of susceptible hosts

Question 34

attenuated vaccines

Answer 34

live vaccines the pathogen continues dividing stimulates the immune system but does not cause disease long lasting/ lifelong immunity

Question 35

attenuated vaccine disadvantage

Answer 35

may be transmitted to immune compromised individuals | can mutate back to virulent forms and cause disease

Question 36

inactivated/killed vaccines

Answer 36

antigen property remains intact but cannot replicate | stimulates antibody production but requires larger doses or boosters

Question 37

subunit vaccines

Answer 37

chemically, genetically engineered antigen that stimulates the immune system cannot replicate- requires boosters tetanus toxoid

Question 38

altered exotoxin

Answer 38

antibodies produced against toxin requires boosters every 10 years stimulates antibody producing memory cells hepititis B, diphtheria toxoid, anthrax vaccines

Question 39

passive vaccines

Answer 39

do not stimulate immune system to produce antibodies no antigen characteristics donor antibodies injected into infected individual immediate response to toxin or pathogen short duration, no memory

Question 40

gammaglobulin

Answer 40

injection or preformed, mostly IgG antibodies from other individuals

Question 41

varicella zoster globulin

Answer 41

passive immunity against chickenpox and shingles

Question 42

passive immunization disadvantage

Answer 42

no memory of exposure preformed antibodies degraded over time possible allergic reactions to animal produced antibodies (serum sickness)

Question 43

vaccine side effects

Answer 43

contamination mutation to virulent or pathogenic forms suspected cause of autism, asthma, allergies

Question 44

tetanus toxoid globulin vaccine

Answer 44

combines active and passive toxoid- active globulin- passive

Question 45

nosocomial infections

Answer 45

hospital acquired infections

Question 46

secondary infections

Answer 46

not present at time of admission

Question 47

3 factors contributing to hospital acquired infections

Answer 47

patient condition mode of pathogen transmission bacteria always present in hospital environment

Question 48

MRSA

Answer 48

methycillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Question 49

nosocomial infection examples

Answer 49

UTIs (most common) pneumonias skin infections- Staph aureus (diaper rash) Pseudomonas aeriginosa (burns)