NRS 501 Pathophysiology
Terminology
Pathophysiology - answer The study of how disease processes affect the function of the
body.
Acute - answer Sudden illness of short duration that comes on suddenly and has rapid
progression.
Acute on Chronic - answer An illness that comes on suddenly and has rapid
progression but is associated with a known long-term ongoing illness.
Subacute - answerA subjective, hard to define term which places an illness somewhere
between a rapid onset and a long-term ongoing illness.
Chronic - answerAn ongoing illness with it's effects long-lasting and/or worsening one
time.
Aetiology - answerThe cause or causes of a disease
Congenital - answerA disease present from birth.
Neoplastic - answerRelating to an abnormal growth of cells/ a tumour
Idiopathic - answerA spontaneous disease with no obvious cause.
Iatrogenic - answerAn illness caused by medical treatment or intervention.
Pathogenesis - answerThe biological mechanism that causes disease process.
Exacerbation - answerIncrease the severity of the signs and symptoms of disease.
Convalescence - answerThe gradual recovery of health from illness, but the patient may
still be infectious to others.
Mortality - answerThe number of deaths in a certain patient group/disease over a period
of time.
Morbidity - answerThe rate of a disease in a population.
Epidemiology - answerThe study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and
determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.
Terminology
Pathophysiology - answer The study of how disease processes affect the function of the
body.
Acute - answer Sudden illness of short duration that comes on suddenly and has rapid
progression.
Acute on Chronic - answer An illness that comes on suddenly and has rapid
progression but is associated with a known long-term ongoing illness.
Subacute - answerA subjective, hard to define term which places an illness somewhere
between a rapid onset and a long-term ongoing illness.
Chronic - answerAn ongoing illness with it's effects long-lasting and/or worsening one
time.
Aetiology - answerThe cause or causes of a disease
Congenital - answerA disease present from birth.
Neoplastic - answerRelating to an abnormal growth of cells/ a tumour
Idiopathic - answerA spontaneous disease with no obvious cause.
Iatrogenic - answerAn illness caused by medical treatment or intervention.
Pathogenesis - answerThe biological mechanism that causes disease process.
Exacerbation - answerIncrease the severity of the signs and symptoms of disease.
Convalescence - answerThe gradual recovery of health from illness, but the patient may
still be infectious to others.
Mortality - answerThe number of deaths in a certain patient group/disease over a period
of time.
Morbidity - answerThe rate of a disease in a population.
Epidemiology - answerThe study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and
determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.
