COMMUNITY MEDICINE

 What the three level of prevention.

1 .Primordial prevention
New concept
Main intervention is through individual from child hood and mass education
2. Primary prevention
Targeted at healthy people
Objectives are Promotion of health
Prevention of exposure and
Prevention of disease
3. Secondary prevention
Targeted at sick individuals
Objective is to stop or slow the progression of disease and to prevent or limit
permanent damage through early detection & treatment
4. Tertiary prevention
Targeted at people with chronic diseases & disabilities that can’t be cured
Objective is to prevent further disability or death and to limit impacts of disability
through rehabilitation
 How you define natural history of disease?
Natural history of disease refers to the progression of a disease process in an individual
over time, in the absence of treatment.

 Important uses of epidemiology

1. To study the history of disease
2. Community diagnosis
3. Look at risk of individuals as they affect groups and populations
4. Assessment, evaluation and research
5. Completing the clinical picture
6. Identification of the syndrome
7. Determine the cause and source of disease

 Epidemic refers to an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above
what is normally expected in that population in that area.
 Epidemic = The occurrence of any number of cases of a disease clearly in excess of
normal expectancy of what usually prevails.
22 cases of legionellosis occurred within 3 weeks among residents of a particular
neighborhood (usually 0 or 1 per year)

 Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or

infectious agent in a population within a geographic area
About 60 cases of gonorrhea are usually reported in this region per week, slightly less
than the national average

 Hyperendemic refers to persistent, high levels of disease occurrence.

Average annual incidence was 364 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis per 100,000
population in one area, compared with national average of 134 cases per 100,000
population

 Pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents,
usually affecting a large number of people.
Over 20 million people worldwide died from influenza in 1918–1919

 Sporadic refers to a disease that occurs infrequently and irregularly.

Single case of histoplasmosis was diagnosed in a community