Board 1

Question Set No 1
1. Define Community Medicine. What is meant by community diagnosis?
Definition of Community Medicine: A system of delivery of comprehensive health care
by a health team in order to promote health of the comm.unity.
Definition of community diagnosis-The pattern of disease in a community describes in
terms of the important factors which influences this pattern.
Communjty diagnosis is based on collection and interpretation of the relevant data such
as-i. Age and sex d.istnlmtion of population; the distribution of population by social
groups;
ii. Vital statistical rates such as birth rate, death rate;
lll. The incidence and prevalence of the disease of the area.
2. Define epidemiology and epidemics. Tell the types of epidemics.
Definition of epidemiology: 'The study of the distribution and determinants of health-
related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the
control of health problems". (John M. Lastl988)
Definition of epidemic: The "unusual" occurrence in a community or region of disease,
specific health related behaviour (smoking) or other health related events(traffic accidents)
clearly in excess of "expected occurrence"
Types of Epidemic:
A . Common source epidemic:
• Single exposure or point source epidemic. e.g-food poisoning.
• Continuous or multiple exposure epidemic .e,g- gonorrhoea.
B. Propagated Epidemic: person to person transmission of an infectious agent(epidemics
of hepatitis A& polio)
C. Slow (modem) Epidemic: CHD, cancer.
3. Classify immunity with examples. Why Measles vaccine is given at the end of 9
months?
Classification of immunjty
1. Innate (non-specific) immunity
• Genetic/constitutional
• Mechanical
• Houmral
• Cellular
2. Acquired (specific) immunhy
• Active
• Passive
Innate (non-specific) immuni ty
Genetic Mechanical Humoral Cellular
• Keratin layer of skin • Normal bacterial • Macrophage
• Intact mucous flora • Eosinophil
membrane • Hydrochloric acid in • Natural killer cell
• Muco cilliary gastric juice
movement • Complement system
• Cough reflex • Interferons
• Sneezing reflex