| Question | Answer |
| Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by? | Infestation organisms- Bacteria, viruses, fungi, Protozoan, worms |
| Which two are the #1 threats to prehospital personnel | Hep C and HIV |
| Describe Bacteria | Microscopic, single-celled organisms which are prokaryotes with no distinct nucleus. They also release Exotoxins and Endotoxins |
| Define endotoxins: | •Release upon the death of bacterial cell
•Cause generalized body aches Non-specific
•Ex: Septic shock |
| Define exotoxins: | •Release from living bacteria during infections
• Travel in bloodstream/lymph
•Cause specific/localized problems
•Ex: Tetanus |
| Viruses: | Smaller than bacteria
Require assistance of another organism for survival
Intracellular parasites Must invade cells Take over, change DNA, replicate,
produce more viruses
Most mild and self-limiting |
| Prions | Abnormally folded proteins that cause disease |
| Fungi | Responsible for minor skin infections
Affects those with impaired immune systems more frequently
Ex: Mycoses, Vaginitis, Athlete’s Foot |
| Protozoa | Single cells parasite
Flexible membranes with ability to move
Opportunistic
Enter by fecal-oral or mosquito bites
Ex: Forms of gastroenteritis and vaginal (trichomoniasis |
| Parasites | Range from small, unicellular organisms to large intestinal worms |
| Describe how an indirect transmission of a disease occurs | Occurs person to person through cough, sneeze, kiss, or sexual contact |
| What is the definition of hematology? | The study of blood and blood forming organs |
| Hematology disorders can expose the patient to what type of disorders | RBC disorders
WBC disorders
Platelet disorders
Coagulation disorders |
| The hematopoietic system is comprised of | Blood
Bone marrow
Liver
Spleen
Kidney |
| What are pluripotent stem cells? | Cells that have the ability to differentiate into the various blood cells Hematopoiesis |
| extramedullary hematopoiesis | fetal development hematopoiesis occurs outside the bone marrow. |
| What is erythropoietin? | A hormone produced by the kidney that stimulates production of RBCs |
| Where is erythropoietin made? | Peritubular capillary endothelial cells in the kidney and liver |
| What is hematocrit? | the fraction of the total volume of blood that consists of red blood cells |
| Albumin | Most abundant plasma protein Comprises approx. ½ of blood serum protein
Essential for maintaining osmotic pressure needed for proper distribution of body fluids between intravascular compartments and body tissues |
| Globulins | transport other proteins and provide immunity to disease |
| Fibrinogen | Clotting protein produced in the liver, circulates in the blood in inactive states |
| The Bohr Effect | States that an increasing [H+] and/or [CO2] will reduce the oxygen affinity of Hb.
if the pH drops below 7.4 Decreased ability of Hb to bind O2 |
| Factors that causes the oxyhemoglobin curve to shift to the right and to release O2 | Acidosis, >CO2, >Tempt. > 2-3DPG |
| What causes a left shift of the curve and O2 binding affinity to increase: | Alkalosis
temperature |
| What is the Haldane effect? | A property of Hb that states that deoxygenation of blood ability to carry CO2
Oxygenated blood has capacity for CO2
Enhances removal of CO2 from oxygen-consuming tissues and promotes dissociation of CO2 from Hb in the presence of O2 (in the lungs) |
| Why does O2 release readily from the Hb during exercise? | temperature Hb binding affinity to O2 O2 to peripheral tissues and end organs |
| erythropoiesis. | RBC production |
| What is the normal RBC count and Hb level in | Males: Hb= 12.0-15.0g/dL
Females: Hb= 10.5-14.0g/ |
| What are marginated WBCs? | Attach more firmly to the vascular lining through adhesion May then leave blood vessel by diapedisis |
| What is meant by demargination? When does it occur? | Detachment of WBC from vascular lining during chemotaxis Movement to infection site |
| Leukopoiesis | is generation of WBCs. |
| neutrophils | Do not stain blue or red |
| What is neutropenia and how does it occur: | Presence of abnormally few neutrophils in the blood Increased susceptibility to infection
Indicates a problem in WBC production in the bone marrow or problem with increased destruction |
| What is an autoimmune disease | Disease caused by antibodies or lymphocytes produced against substances naturally present in the body |
| What is chemotaxis | Movement of a motile cell or organism in one direction corresponding to a gradient of increasing/decreasing concentration of a substance (chemical signal) |
| Fever is caused by | Chemical mediators
Macrophages |
| The extrinsic pathway is | Tissue damage causes platelet aggregation and formation of prothrombin activator |
| What are immunogens? | Antigens that can produce an immune response |
| What are histocompatibilty locus antigens (HLA)? | Antigens that the body recognizes as self or foreign |
| What is a hemolytic reaction to blood? | Occurs when a donor’s and recipient’s blood are not compatible |
| What can cause pruritis? | Hb spills into circulatory system due to RBC breakdown
Macrophages break down Hb |
| What is anemia? | Inadequate amounts of RBCs or inadequate Hb within the RBCs |
| The most common cause of iron deficiency anemia is | Blood loss from menstrual bleeding or intestinal bleeding. |
| What is hemolytic anemia | Anemia caused by destruction of RBSs |
| What is the lifespan of a sickle cell? | 10-20 days |
| What is polycythemia? | Abnormally high hematocrit due to excessive production of RBCs
Rare |
| What is leukemia? | Cancer of hematopoietic cells, Cells proliferate initially in bone marrow and spread to peripheral blood |
| Multiple Myeloma | is a malignant neoplasm of the bone marow |
| Thrombocytopenia | is a low platelet count. |
| Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) | occurs when antibodies attack and destroy the body's platelets for unknown reasons |
| Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) | a life-threatening disease that occurs when a small blood clots form suddenly throughout the body. |
| Pain sudden in onset | perforation of organs |
| Lying on side with legs flexed | peritoneal inflammation |
| walking aroun relieves the pain | obstructed gallbladder or kidney stones |
| localized tearing pain | rupture of an organ |
| dull, steady increasing pain | bowel obstruction |
| sharp flank pain | kidney stones |
| You auscultate the abdomen before you... | Palpate or percuss |
| Cullen's signs | discoloration over umbilicus |
| Turner's sign | discoloration over flanks |
| Mallory-Weiss Syndrome | Mucosal tear of distal esophagus at point of attachment of esophagus to stomach due to violent vomiting or alcohol binges |
| Esophageal varices | caused by portal hypertension which engorges veins in the esophagus |
| Cirrhosis | Most common cause of portal hypertension |
| Esophageal varices S/S | Painless bleeding, Hematemesis, Burnin or tearing sensation in chest, dysphagia |
| Acute gastroenteritis | Inflammation of stomach/intestines, hemorrhage and erosion of mucosal layers |
| Peptic Ulcers Disease | breakdown of gastric or duodenal mucosal defense caused by imbalance between production of acid or bacteria |
| Peptic Ucers Disease | Epigastric pain or tenderness, located midline, sudden onset |
| Duodenal ulcers | pain at night on an empty stomach |
| Gastric ulcers | Stomach only,no consistent patter, pain after a mean or full stomach |
| Diverticulosis | Most common cause of lower GI bleeding |
| Ulcerative Colitis | an inflammatory condition of large intestine characterized by ulceration of mucosa of the intestine |
| Crohn's Disease | a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that usually affects the ileum, the colon or both. It is autoimmune |
| Diverticulitis | Inflammation of diverticula secondary to infection due to obstruction by fecal matter |
| Hemorrhoids | Small masses of swollen veins that occur in the anus and rectum due to straining, constipation, etc. |
| Bowel obstruction | Complete or partial blockage of bowels due to hernias, volvulus, intussusception. Most common location is small intestines |
| Appendicitis | Inflammation of vermiform appendix due to obstruction of lumen by fecal matter |
| Cholecystitis | Inflammation of gallbladder |
| Murphy's Sign | Referred pain to right shoulder |
| Hepatitis | Injury to liver cells typically due to inflammation or infection |
| Cirrhosis | Chronic, irreversible, degenerative disease of liver |
| Prerenal Disease | Occurs before the kidney is reached and characterized by inadequate blood flow to kidneys |
| Intrarenal disease (intrinsic disease) | disease or damage within the kidney |
| Postrenal disease | disease tha block the system that collects urine |
