Midterm Pathophysiology WCU Questions with
Detailed Verified Answers
Etiology Ans: cause & reason behind the disease
Idiopathic Ans: cause is unknown
Iatrogenic Ans: medically induced
-cause results from unintended or unwanted medical treatment
-results from an infection while in hospital
-can be caused by medication
Risk factor Ans: A factor that when present increases the likelihood of disease
Pathogenesis Ans: Development or evolution of disease from initial stimulus to
ultimate expression of manifesting of disease
Symptoms Ans: subjective feeling of abnormality in the body
Signs Ans: Objective or observed manifestation of disease
Syndrome Ans: a set of signs and symptoms not yet determined to delineate a disease
and occur together
Latent period Ans: time between exposure of tissue to injurious agent and FIRST
appearance of signs/or symptoms
Prodomal period Ans: time during which first signs and/or symptoms appear or onset
of disease occurs
Latent period (2) Ans: Also refers to a period during an illness when signs/symptoms
temporarily become mild or silent
,Subclinical stage Ans: patient functions normally; disease processes are well
established.
Acute clinical course Ans: short-lived; may have severe manifestation
Chronic clinical course Ans: may last months to years, sometimes following an acute
course
Illness and disease do not? Ans: Always coexist. Illness is the symptomatic and
debilitating stage of a disease.
-Lytic Ans: break down of the clot.
Syphilis Ans: Can occur between latent & prodromal period and between prodromal
and latent period.
Remission Ans: decrease in severity, signs, or symptoms; may indicate disease is
cured.
Exacerbation Ans: increase in severity,signs, or symptoms
Sequela Ans: Subsequent pathologic condition resulting from an acute illness.
EX: placing a cast on someone then removing it and results in joint stiffness
Statistical normality Ans: estimate of diseases in a normal population, based on bell
shape curve
Reliability Ans: Test's ability to give the same results in repeated measurements
Validity Ans: degree to which a measurement reflects the true value of what it intends
to measure
Predictive value Ans: -Extent to which a test can differentiate between presence or
absence of a persons condition.
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, -A test.
Sensitivity Ans: probability that a test will be positive when applied to a person with a
particular condition.
-A true positive
Specificity Ans: Probability that a test will be negative when applied to a person
without a particular condition
-A true negative
Gender differences Ans: relevant in both in health and disease
EX: hemoglobin, sex & growth hormones
Situational differences Ans: determine whether a derivation from normal should be
considered abnormal or an adaptation mechanism.
EX: RBC's count increases when a person moves to a high altitude.
Time variations Ans: may impact how the body responds from day to night or at
varying times.
EX: hormones & body temp are higher in the AM
Growth hormones released while sleeping
Epidemiology Ans: study of the patterns of disease involving populations
Endemic disease Ans: native to a local region
Epidemic disease Ans: Spread to many people at the same time
EX: SARS
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Detailed Verified Answers
Etiology Ans: cause & reason behind the disease
Idiopathic Ans: cause is unknown
Iatrogenic Ans: medically induced
-cause results from unintended or unwanted medical treatment
-results from an infection while in hospital
-can be caused by medication
Risk factor Ans: A factor that when present increases the likelihood of disease
Pathogenesis Ans: Development or evolution of disease from initial stimulus to
ultimate expression of manifesting of disease
Symptoms Ans: subjective feeling of abnormality in the body
Signs Ans: Objective or observed manifestation of disease
Syndrome Ans: a set of signs and symptoms not yet determined to delineate a disease
and occur together
Latent period Ans: time between exposure of tissue to injurious agent and FIRST
appearance of signs/or symptoms
Prodomal period Ans: time during which first signs and/or symptoms appear or onset
of disease occurs
Latent period (2) Ans: Also refers to a period during an illness when signs/symptoms
temporarily become mild or silent
,Subclinical stage Ans: patient functions normally; disease processes are well
established.
Acute clinical course Ans: short-lived; may have severe manifestation
Chronic clinical course Ans: may last months to years, sometimes following an acute
course
Illness and disease do not? Ans: Always coexist. Illness is the symptomatic and
debilitating stage of a disease.
-Lytic Ans: break down of the clot.
Syphilis Ans: Can occur between latent & prodromal period and between prodromal
and latent period.
Remission Ans: decrease in severity, signs, or symptoms; may indicate disease is
cured.
Exacerbation Ans: increase in severity,signs, or symptoms
Sequela Ans: Subsequent pathologic condition resulting from an acute illness.
EX: placing a cast on someone then removing it and results in joint stiffness
Statistical normality Ans: estimate of diseases in a normal population, based on bell
shape curve
Reliability Ans: Test's ability to give the same results in repeated measurements
Validity Ans: degree to which a measurement reflects the true value of what it intends
to measure
Predictive value Ans: -Extent to which a test can differentiate between presence or
absence of a persons condition.
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
, -A test.
Sensitivity Ans: probability that a test will be positive when applied to a person with a
particular condition.
-A true positive
Specificity Ans: Probability that a test will be negative when applied to a person
without a particular condition
-A true negative
Gender differences Ans: relevant in both in health and disease
EX: hemoglobin, sex & growth hormones
Situational differences Ans: determine whether a derivation from normal should be
considered abnormal or an adaptation mechanism.
EX: RBC's count increases when a person moves to a high altitude.
Time variations Ans: may impact how the body responds from day to night or at
varying times.
EX: hormones & body temp are higher in the AM
Growth hormones released while sleeping
Epidemiology Ans: study of the patterns of disease involving populations
Endemic disease Ans: native to a local region
Epidemic disease Ans: Spread to many people at the same time
EX: SARS
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
