Year 12 CMC Vocab

Vital Signs
Vital signs are measures of various physiological statistics to assess the most basic body functions. They include body temperature, pulse rate (or heart rate), blood pressure, and respiratory rate.

Etiology
The study of the causes. For example, of a disorder or disease
The word "etiology" is mainly used in medicine, where it is the science that deals with the causes or origin of disease, the factors which produce or predispose toward a certain disease or disorder.

Endemic
In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic (steady state) in the UK, but malaria is not.

Epidemic
An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely.


Pandemic
Epidemic over a wide geographic area and affecting a large proportion of the population

Health
The state of being free from illness or injury
WHO DEFINITION - a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Emerging Disease
If the disease was unknown in the location before, the disease is considered to be emerging.

Re-emerging Disease
A disease that has been been present at the location in the past and was considered eradicated or controlled, the disease is considered to be re-emerging