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Unit 6
Classification of Disease
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Objectives
• Spell and define terms.
• Define disease and list some possible
causes.
• Distinguish between signs and
symptoms.
• List six major health problems.
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Objectives
• Identify disease-related terms.
• List ways in which a diagnosis is made.
• Describe malignant and benign tumors.
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Introduction
• Nurses value your observations
– They are used to make evaluations and
plan nursing care for patients
• The better you understand the basic
principles of disease, the more accurate
the information you can provide.
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Disease
• The body is a complex chemical factory
– Depends on all of its parts to perform
efficiently
• It is subject to external and internal
forces
– Stress that can threaten its ability to
function properly
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Disease
• Predisposing factors to disease are
general conditions
– Malnutrition may contribute to the
development of illness
– Some diseases have related risk factors
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Disease
• Risk factors
– Specific behaviors or conditions that tend
to promote certain diseases
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Signs and Symptoms
• Signs of a disease
– Can be seen by others
• Symptoms
– Felt by the patient
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The Course of Disease
• Development and course of different
illnesses vary greatly
– Acute disease develops suddenly
– Progresses rapidly
– Lasts for a predictable period
– The patient recovers or dies
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The Course of Disease
• With a chronic disease
– Periods when the patient experiences the
signs and symptoms
– Periods when evidence of the disease is
less pronounced or disappears altogether
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Complications
• A complication makes the original
condition more serious
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Major Conditions
• Some of the major conditions or
illnesses that can affect the body’s
ability to function are:
– Ischemia
– Congenital abnormalities
– Infection
– Inflammation
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Major Conditions
• Some of the major conditions or
illnesses that can affect the body’s
ability to function are:
– Obstruction
– Trauma
– Neoplasm
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Diagnosis
• Medical diagnosis
– Made by the physician
– Patient is examined
– History of previous illness is taken and
reviewed
– Various laboratory and diagnostic tests are
performed
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Diagnosis
• Physician compiles the information
– Matches it to possible diseases
– Names process to establish the medical
diagnosis
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Diagnostic Studies
• Laboratory tests and diagnostic studies
– Give physician valuable information for
naming the disease process and planning
the proper treatment for the patient
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Diagnostic Studies
• Protocols
– Standards of procedure and care developed
for the preparation and care of the patient for
each test or study
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Diagnostic Studies
• Protocols
– Follow to achieve satisfactory results
– Improper patient preparation can result in:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Inability to perform the test
Inaccurate test results
Delayed diagnosis
Increased costs
Increased patient anxiety
Slower recovery
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Noninvasive Tests
• Some tests and studies are noninvasive
– Ultrasound
– Thermography
– X-ray and fluoroscopy
– Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
– Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
– Electroencephalogram (EEG)
– Electromyogram (EMG)
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Invasive Tests
• Some tests and studies are invasive
– Direct visualization procedures
– Dye studies
– Cardiac catheterization
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Other Techniques
• Chemical and microscopic studies
– Examine samples of various body tissues
and secretions
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Other Techniques
• The most common samples are:
– Blood
– Urine
– Sputum from the lungs
– Cultures from infected tissues
– Gastric secretions
– Feces
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Therapy
• Once a diagnosis is confirmed,
appropriate therapy is determined
• Four basic approaches to therapy:
– Surgery
– Chemotherapy
– Radiation
– Supportive care
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Neoplasms
• Tumors can affect almost any organ of
the body
• Tumor cells do not follow the normal
laws of growth and reproduction
– May not stay within the normal boundaries
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Neoplasms
• Excess numbers of cells and abnormal
cells crowd out the normal cells and
compete with them for nutrients.
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Types of Tumors
• Different types of tumors
– More common among certain groups of
people
• Children have more tumors of the
nervous system, urinary system, and
hematopoietic system.
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Types of Tumors
• Adults have more tumors of the
reproductive organs, lungs, and colon.
• Two major types of tumors are classified
as benign or malignant.
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Early Detection
• Early detection of cancer can often
result in a cure.
• The sooner the cancer is found, the
higher the rate of its cure.
• Pain is usually a late symptom.
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Body Defenses
• The body has a natural line of defenses
against disease
– Inflammation
– Unbroken skin
– Mucus
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Inflammation
• Body’s natural defenses
• Signs and symptoms of acute
inflammation:
– Redness
– Swelling
– Heat
– Loss of function
– Pain
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Immune Response
• Immune response
– Protects the body against specific
infections by producing special chemicals
called antibodies
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Immune Response
• A vaccine may be given before
exposure to a disease
• The body can then produce antibodies
before actual exposure occurs
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