ETIOLOGIES AND MEDICAL ASPECTS

BACKGROUND OF ETIOLOGY
If the doctor know the cause, then he can treat the cause and do more for the patient
then he just treating their symptoms.
Definition of Etiology
Is the cause of a disease or the science that deals with such causes. The word etiology
comes from the Greek etio-, which means ‘causation’ and ology, which refers to the scientific
study of something.

The three main categories of Etiology

 Intrinsic
 Extrinsic and;
 Idiopathic

Intrinsic Etiologies
Intrinsic means coming from within. Therefore, any pathological, or disease-causing,
change that has occurred from inside the body has occurred as a result of intrinsic factors.

Example of intrinsic factors:

Inherited conditions, or conditions that are passed down to you from your parents. An
example of this is hemophilia, a disorder that leads to excessive bleeding.

Extrinsic etiologies
This means the cause of the disease, or pathological change, came from outside the
body.

Example of extrinsic factors:

 Animal bite or stings

Idiopathic etiologies

 Unknown cause. Remember we are ‘idio’-ts for not knowing the disease etiology.

MEDICAL ASPECTS

The medical aspects of environmental health problems in emergencies involve taking care
of the affected people. Often, very specific knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of
effects from hazardous substances is required.

The medical management of people following a disaster may involve some or all of the
following activities:

 First aid
 Assessment and triage of victims in order to prioritize treatment.
 Decontamination of people exposed to chemicals or radioactive materials
 Diagnosis
 Special and general supportive medical care
 Monitoring and prophylaxis against infection
 Long-term follow-up
 Psychiatric or psychological support.

Long-term medical aspects

Once the acute phase is over, there may also be long-term problems that need to be
addressed. These include identifying and managing health problems resulting from trauma,
injuries, internal organ damage or carcinogenic changes, and also the psychosocial impact of
the emergency.

Edcel O. Dionela BSED FILIPINO-3

Reporter