PATHOLOGY 404 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Cause of death - Answers - the disease or injury that initiates the train of events leading
to death
Mechanism of death: disturbance in physiologic and biochemical state that follows the
cause of death (example: draining of blood)
Manner of death - Answers - how the cause of death came about (example: natural,
unnatural [accidental/suicidal/homicidal], undetermined)
Algor mortis - Answers - drop in core body temperature compared to the environment
Livor mortis - Answers - settling of blood, appear red-maroon and after 12-16
postmortem hours do not blanch with digital pressure
Rigor mortis - Answers - 12 hour progressive depletion in ATP resulting in muscles
firming up and joints stiffening, once maximized stiffness lasts another 12 hours and
then diminishes by 36 hours postmortem
define and explain the role of pathologist in modern medical practice and patient care -
Answers - Forensic pathologist: identify the cause of death, order needed lab tests to
check for drugs and toxins, collect material for possible genetic studies and finally
compile a report with intention to identify the cause, mechanism and manner of death,
testify in the court in order to share his/her observations and opinions on the case
Pathologist
- looks for patterns of changes in the tissue in order to reach a diagnosis
- looks for external clues regarding the state of the body at the time of death
- algor, livor, and rigor mortis in combination help to estimate/approximate the time of
death
- following histologic/microscopic examination of tissues and evaluation of lab reports
ordered during the autopsy, the pathologist issues a final report
Know principal subdivisions of pathology service - Answers - Anatomic pathology- study
of pattern of changes in tissue and cells
surgical pathology
cytopathology
autopsy pathology
medical autopsy - performed on hospital patients, patients who die of medical or natural
causes without evidence or suggestion of suicide or crime
forensic pathology- performed when suicide or illegal act causing death is implicated,
under the jurisdiction of coroner/medical examiner
,Anatomic pathology - Answers - branch of pathology dealing with changes in tissues at
gross and microscopic levels, including subcellular and molecular alterations.
Clinical pathology - Answers - branch of pathology that deals with laboratory and
microbiological testing important for day-to-day patient care (example: examination of
blood)
have a basic understanding of tissue and chemical changes that occur after death -
Answers - Post-mortem fluids such as blood, vitreous humor and urine may be obtained
to look for levels of electrolytes such as potassium
- potassium level in the vitreous humor has steady linear rise following death due to
loss of sodium-potassium pump function
- carbon monoxide: bright red blood and a "cherry-red" tissue/skin color
- purple skin discoloration on the back is called livor mortis (pooling of blood)
know methods of tissue processing and staining - Answers - 1. tissue fixation at 10%
formalin
2. Tissue processing using alcohol for dehydration and xylene for paraffin infiltration
3. Paraffin embedding
4. Sectioning off paraffin embedded in tissue and placement on glass slide
5. Deparaffinizing and rehydrating tissue section on glass slide
6. Staining using hematoxylin [nucleotides] and Eosin [red blood cells] (H&E)
7. Dehydration of tissue
8. Placement of permount (glue) and coverslip (a thin piece of glass)
mortality statistics - Answers - people are likely to die with multiple existing health
conditions
underlying/contributing causes of death - Answers - the disease or condition that
initiated the train of morbid events leading directly to death, has the greatest medical,
legal, and epidemiologic importance
- contributing causes- factors that led to the underlying cause of death
proximate/immediate/pathologic causes - Answers - finally lead to death, disease
focused and based on an understanding of pathology
non-proximate/actual/upstream causes - Answers - factors that increase the likelihood
of experiencing one of the proximate causes, risk factors for disease and are based on
an understanding of epidemiology
disease continuum and thinking upstream
risk, risk factors, relative risk, attributable risk - Answers - - risk- probability of
developing a condition over time (incidence)
- risk factors- qualities, behaviors, agents, or hazards that could reduce health or cause
disease/injury
, - relative risk- ratio of risk in one group, compared to another (risk in exposed/risk in
unexposed)
- attributable risk- the proportion of disease 'caused' by a certain risk factor
epidemiology: the study of the distribution and determinants of health and diseases
epidemiology - Answers - the study of the distribution and determinants of health and
diseases, morbidity, injuries, disability, and mortality in populations
ICD codes - Answers - revised about every 10 years to reflect changes in medical and
epidemiology knowledge and to account for diseases that are either new or of growing
importance; death certificates that are coded; based on pathologic basis of disease
determinants of health - Answers - health is defined as not merely the absence of
disease but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being
1. the disease continuum and the life course model
2. Developmental assets
3. Adverse experiences of childhood
Health Risk Factors Disease Death
Compare and contrast epidemiology and pathology - Answers - Pathology "study of
diseases, suffering"
Epidemiology "study of the causes of diseases in populations"
Understand how the causes of death are currently classified in the United States (e.g.,
using the ICD-10 codes) - Answers - - death certificates are coded using a standard
system called the ICD (International Classification of Deaths) which has been organized
and published by the World Health Organization since 1946.
- based on pathologic basis of disease
- revised every 10 years to account for diseases that are new or of growing importance
- ICD9 used from 1979-1998; ICD10 used from 1999 to current
- assigning a single UCOD (underlying cause of death) can be complex and
unsatisfactory
State the leading cause of death in 1900 and 1995. Contrast this with the leading
"actual" or "upstream" cause of death - Answers - 1990- infectious diseases
1995- chronic diseases
actual/upstream cause of death- tobacco use, poor diet and physical inactivity, and
alcohol abuse
describe the disease continuum, ranging from health, to risk factors, to disease, to
death - Answers - - could take 60 years to progress or only a few hours to progress
- developmental assets
Internal assets- commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, positive
identity
External assets- support, empowerment, boundaries/expectations, constructive use of
time
ANSWERS
Cause of death - Answers - the disease or injury that initiates the train of events leading
to death
Mechanism of death: disturbance in physiologic and biochemical state that follows the
cause of death (example: draining of blood)
Manner of death - Answers - how the cause of death came about (example: natural,
unnatural [accidental/suicidal/homicidal], undetermined)
Algor mortis - Answers - drop in core body temperature compared to the environment
Livor mortis - Answers - settling of blood, appear red-maroon and after 12-16
postmortem hours do not blanch with digital pressure
Rigor mortis - Answers - 12 hour progressive depletion in ATP resulting in muscles
firming up and joints stiffening, once maximized stiffness lasts another 12 hours and
then diminishes by 36 hours postmortem
define and explain the role of pathologist in modern medical practice and patient care -
Answers - Forensic pathologist: identify the cause of death, order needed lab tests to
check for drugs and toxins, collect material for possible genetic studies and finally
compile a report with intention to identify the cause, mechanism and manner of death,
testify in the court in order to share his/her observations and opinions on the case
Pathologist
- looks for patterns of changes in the tissue in order to reach a diagnosis
- looks for external clues regarding the state of the body at the time of death
- algor, livor, and rigor mortis in combination help to estimate/approximate the time of
death
- following histologic/microscopic examination of tissues and evaluation of lab reports
ordered during the autopsy, the pathologist issues a final report
Know principal subdivisions of pathology service - Answers - Anatomic pathology- study
of pattern of changes in tissue and cells
surgical pathology
cytopathology
autopsy pathology
medical autopsy - performed on hospital patients, patients who die of medical or natural
causes without evidence or suggestion of suicide or crime
forensic pathology- performed when suicide or illegal act causing death is implicated,
under the jurisdiction of coroner/medical examiner
,Anatomic pathology - Answers - branch of pathology dealing with changes in tissues at
gross and microscopic levels, including subcellular and molecular alterations.
Clinical pathology - Answers - branch of pathology that deals with laboratory and
microbiological testing important for day-to-day patient care (example: examination of
blood)
have a basic understanding of tissue and chemical changes that occur after death -
Answers - Post-mortem fluids such as blood, vitreous humor and urine may be obtained
to look for levels of electrolytes such as potassium
- potassium level in the vitreous humor has steady linear rise following death due to
loss of sodium-potassium pump function
- carbon monoxide: bright red blood and a "cherry-red" tissue/skin color
- purple skin discoloration on the back is called livor mortis (pooling of blood)
know methods of tissue processing and staining - Answers - 1. tissue fixation at 10%
formalin
2. Tissue processing using alcohol for dehydration and xylene for paraffin infiltration
3. Paraffin embedding
4. Sectioning off paraffin embedded in tissue and placement on glass slide
5. Deparaffinizing and rehydrating tissue section on glass slide
6. Staining using hematoxylin [nucleotides] and Eosin [red blood cells] (H&E)
7. Dehydration of tissue
8. Placement of permount (glue) and coverslip (a thin piece of glass)
mortality statistics - Answers - people are likely to die with multiple existing health
conditions
underlying/contributing causes of death - Answers - the disease or condition that
initiated the train of morbid events leading directly to death, has the greatest medical,
legal, and epidemiologic importance
- contributing causes- factors that led to the underlying cause of death
proximate/immediate/pathologic causes - Answers - finally lead to death, disease
focused and based on an understanding of pathology
non-proximate/actual/upstream causes - Answers - factors that increase the likelihood
of experiencing one of the proximate causes, risk factors for disease and are based on
an understanding of epidemiology
disease continuum and thinking upstream
risk, risk factors, relative risk, attributable risk - Answers - - risk- probability of
developing a condition over time (incidence)
- risk factors- qualities, behaviors, agents, or hazards that could reduce health or cause
disease/injury
, - relative risk- ratio of risk in one group, compared to another (risk in exposed/risk in
unexposed)
- attributable risk- the proportion of disease 'caused' by a certain risk factor
epidemiology: the study of the distribution and determinants of health and diseases
epidemiology - Answers - the study of the distribution and determinants of health and
diseases, morbidity, injuries, disability, and mortality in populations
ICD codes - Answers - revised about every 10 years to reflect changes in medical and
epidemiology knowledge and to account for diseases that are either new or of growing
importance; death certificates that are coded; based on pathologic basis of disease
determinants of health - Answers - health is defined as not merely the absence of
disease but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being
1. the disease continuum and the life course model
2. Developmental assets
3. Adverse experiences of childhood
Health Risk Factors Disease Death
Compare and contrast epidemiology and pathology - Answers - Pathology "study of
diseases, suffering"
Epidemiology "study of the causes of diseases in populations"
Understand how the causes of death are currently classified in the United States (e.g.,
using the ICD-10 codes) - Answers - - death certificates are coded using a standard
system called the ICD (International Classification of Deaths) which has been organized
and published by the World Health Organization since 1946.
- based on pathologic basis of disease
- revised every 10 years to account for diseases that are new or of growing importance
- ICD9 used from 1979-1998; ICD10 used from 1999 to current
- assigning a single UCOD (underlying cause of death) can be complex and
unsatisfactory
State the leading cause of death in 1900 and 1995. Contrast this with the leading
"actual" or "upstream" cause of death - Answers - 1990- infectious diseases
1995- chronic diseases
actual/upstream cause of death- tobacco use, poor diet and physical inactivity, and
alcohol abuse
describe the disease continuum, ranging from health, to risk factors, to disease, to
death - Answers - - could take 60 years to progress or only a few hours to progress
- developmental assets
Internal assets- commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, positive
identity
External assets- support, empowerment, boundaries/expectations, constructive use of
time
