- Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology is the study of the disturbance of normal
mechanical ,physical , andbiochemical functions, either caused by adisease , or resulting from a disease or abnormal syndrome, or condition that may not qualify to be called a disease.An alternate definition is "the study of the
biological and physical manifestations of disease as they correlate with the underlying abnormalities andphysiological disturbances." [Craig Scanlon, Egan's Fundamentals of Respiratory Therapy, St. Louis, 1999, p. 1186.]Related fields
Pathophysiology can be looked at as the intersection of two older, related disciplines: (normal)
physiology andpathology .*
Physiology is the study of normal, healthybodily function (as opposed toanatomy , which is the study of normalstructure ). When something disrupts normalphysiological processes, it enters the realm ofpathophysiology .*
Pathology , broadly speaking, is the "study of the nature and cause of disease." [Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Clayton Thomas, Philadelphia, 1993, p. 1445.] or the results of disease in the body.Pathophysiology looks at the detailed
malfunctioning that comes from or - alternately - causes disease.One caution in this
approach is that "healthy"structure andfunction is not precisely the same in any two individuals.Examples
An example from the field of
infectious disease would be the study of atoxin released by abacterium , and what that toxin does to the body to cause harm, one possible result beingsepsis .Another example is the study of the
chemical changes that take place inbody tissue due toinflammation .Uses
Pathophysiology is a required study for most
nursing school programs in the United States as well as other countries.ee also
*
Pathology References
*Kumar, V., Abbas, A. and N. Fausto. 2004. "Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease." Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company
External links
* [http://www.minnay.com/products/pathophys_index.html Pathophysiology Resources]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
