L2: Classification of Diseases

• Classifications of diseases become extremely important in the compilation of statistics on causes of illness (morbidity) and causes of death (mortality).
• DISEASE

  • a condition that deteriorates the normal functioning of the cells, tissues, and organs. Any dangerous divergence from a functional or normal state of an entity.
  • the normalcy of an entity needs to be studied
  • are usually caused by many factors rather than a single cause
• ICD (International Classification of Diseases)

  • provided by WHO
  • global standard for coding health information and causes of death
  • large taxonomy consisting of tens of thousands of entities called nodes/classes
  • entity represents a disease or pathogen but can also be an isolated symptom or developmental anomaly of the body
• Topographic

  • by bodily region/system
  • subdivided into such categories such as gastrointestinal disease, vascular disease, abdominal disease, and chest disease
• Anatomic

  • by organ/tissue
  • categorized by the specific organ or tissue affected; hence, heart disease, liver disease, and lung disease
  • cardiology is restricted to diseases of a single organ; great use in identifying various kinds of disease that affect a particular organ
• Physiological

  • by function/effect
  • based on the underlying functional derangement produced by a specific disorder
  • such designations as respiratory and metabolic disease
• Etiologic

  • based on the cause, when known
  • important and useful in the consideration of biotic (relating to living things/bacterial) disease
  • disease might be classified as staphylococcal or rickettsial or fungal
  • eg. sexually transmitted syphilis
  • what kind of disease staphylococci produce in humans
• Juristic

  • legal circumstances in which death occurs
  • involved with sudden death, the cause of which is clearly not evident
• Epidemiological

  • incidence, distribution, and control of disorders in a population
  • iisang lugar lang (pandemic is buong mundo)
  • endemic - one region
• Statistical

  • employs analysis of the incidence (no. of new cases of a specific disease)
• CAUSES OF DISEASES:

  1. Bacteria
  2. Viruses
  3. Fungi
  4. Parasites
• Bacteria

  • single-celled, simple organisms
  • antibiotic; must be taken consistently bc once stopped, you will be mulit-drug resistant
  • these one-cell organisms are responsible for illnesses such as strep throat, urinary tract infections and tuberculosis
  • also called germs, are microscopic organisms not visible with the naked eye
  • it is everywhere, both inside and outside of your body
  • can live in a variety of environments, from hot water to ice

  eg. tuberculosis, strep throat, urinary tract infections

  • some bacteria are good, some can make u sick
  • bacteria goes in when you have low immune system
• Virus

  • will die a natural death
  • microscopic infectious particle that consists of an RNA or DNA genome enclosed in a protein shell
  • not able to reproduce on its own, can only make more viruses by entering a cell

  eg. HIV-AIDS, Hepa, Covid
• Fungi (Fungal diseases)

  • are eukaryotic microorganisms that have a cellular wall and do not photosynthesize
  • parasitize organisms or exist as spores
  • in superficial mycoses, fungi invade keratinized tissue such as the horny cell layer, hair and nails
  • in deep fungal infection, fungi tend to parasitize the dermis and deeper layers
  • can infect lungs or nervous system

  eg. fungi nail infection
• Parasite

  • aka parasitosis
  • needs a host
  • do not cause diseases as it may eventually lead to death of both host and organism
  • some enter through contaminated food/water or live on the skin and hair

  eg. hair and body lice, stomach and gut worms
• MEDICINE

  • science of healing
  • Rod of Asclepius, aka Staff of Aesculapius (God of Medicine)
• Anesthesiology – practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during and after surgery.
• Cardiology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the blood vessels.
• Critical care medicine – focuses on life support and the intensive care of the seriously ill.
• Dentistry – branch of medicine that deals with treatment of diseases in the oral cavity
• Dermatology – branch of medicine that deals with the skin, hair, and nails.
• Emergency medicine – focuses on care provided in the emergency department
• Endocrinology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the endocrine system; complex network of glands which secrete hormones and organs
• Epidemiology – study of cause and prevalence of diseases and programs to contain them
• First aid – assistance given to any person suffering a sudden illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, and/or promote recovery. It includes initial intervention in a serious condition prior to professional medical help being available, such as performing CPR while awaiting an ambulance, as well as the complete treatment of minor conditions, such as applying a plaster to a cut.
• Gastroenterology – branch of medicine that deals with the study and care of the digestive system.
• General practice (often called family medicine) - is a branch of medicine that specializes in primary care.
• Geriatrics – branch of medicine that deals with the general health and well-being of the elderly.
• Gynecology – diagnosis and treatment of the female reproductive system
• Hematology – branch of medicine that deals with the blood and the circulatory system.
• Hepatology – branch of medicine that deals with the liver, gallbladder and the biliary system.
• Infectious disease – branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and management of infectious disease, especially for complex cases and immunocompromised patients.
• Internal medicine – involved with adult diseases
• Neurology – branch of medicine that deals with the brain and the nervous system.
• Nephrology – branch of medicine which deals with the kidneys.
• Obstetrics – care of women during and after pregnancy
• Oncology – branch of medicine that studies the types of cancer.
• Ophthalmology – branch of medicine that deals with the eyes.
• Optometry – branch of medicine that involves examining the eyes and applicable visual systems for defects or abnormalities as well as the medical diagnosis and management of eye disease.
• Orthopedics – branch of medicine that deals with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.