Università degli Studi di Catania

Definition, basic concepts and tasks of Hygiene. Natural history of diseases. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.
Epidemiology : definition, characteristics and purposes. Elements of demography . Sources and methods of data collection. Interpretation of the data (causal, indirect and spurious associations). The indicators of social and health conditions of the population (birth rates, general and specific mortality, infant mortality, life expectancy, Lexis’ curve) . Measures of frequency: prevalence and incidence. Measures of risk: Relative Risk , Attributable Individual and Population Risk. Epidemiological studies: Descriptive, Analytical (prevalence , case-control , cohort studies), experimental.
Etiology, epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases: etiologic agents, conditions predisposing to infection. Epidemiology: Sources and reservoirs of infection, routes of entry and elimination of pathogens, modes of transmission (direct and by motor vehicles or carriers); rhythms diffusion of infectious diseases (diseases sporadic, endemic, epidemic and pandemic). General prophylaxis: prophylaxis direct (notification, epidemiological investigation, detection, diagnosis, isolation and absence, health surveillance, sterilization, disinfection, disinfestation) . Specific prophylaxis: vaccine prophylaxis (composition of the vaccines, requirements, mode of administration. Vaccine strategies: mandatory vaccinations in Italy for age cohorts and categories; recommended vaccinations). Serum and Immuno prophylaxis. Chemoprophylaxis . Epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases in relation to the mode of transmission. Transmission by air: influenza, measles, rubella, diphtheria, meningitis, tuberculosis, whooping cough. Oral-fecal transmission: viral hepatitis A, polio. Typhoid fever transmission by direct contact ( blood and / or sexual ): hepatitis B, hepatitis A , hepatitis C , HIV, cytomegalovirus infections . Transmission by means of vectors and Zoonoses : malaria , leishmaniasis , rabies, brucellosis , toxoplasmosis , tetanus .
Epidemiology and general prevention of non-infectious diseases : Causes and risk factors. Genetic risk factors , environmental (biological, physical, chemical ) , behavioral (including dietary habits , smoking , alcohol abuse , drugs , drug use , physical inactivity ) . Prevention: in the living , working. Modification of lifestyle . Secondary prevention ( early diagnosis by screening ) . Hypertension : epidemiology, risk factors, prevention. Ischaemic heart disease : overview, epidemiology , risk factors and / or causal prevention. Cerebral ischemia : overview, epidemiology, risk factors, prevention.
Malignant tumors : definition and etiology . epidemiology, risk factors and prevention of cancer ( lung ca , stomach ca, breast ca , cervix ca) . Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : prevalence , risk factors and prevention. Diabetes mellitus : overview and classification. Risk factors. Prevention .

MANAGEMENT IN AREA SANITARIA

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