Learning objectives
Provide the student with the basic tools and methodology to enable him/her to understand the concepts and contexts for the application of the prevention of infectious and chronic degenerative diseases as well as the fundamentals of the epidemiology applied (concept of risk factor, causality relationship, epidemiological studies)
Prerequisites
Curiosity for the world around us
Course unit content
Hygiene, Public Health and Epidemiology, represent the basis and the the applicative methodology of science of prevention and health promotion.
Full programme
General hygiene and epidemiology:
DEFINITION OF HEALTH AND DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH / DISEASE
• Evolution of the definitions of health and the concept of a health-disease continuum
• The importance of measurement in epidemiology and public health; health indicators
THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL METHOD AND ELEMENTS OF DEMOGRAPHY
• Definition of epidemiology and the importance of the denominator (demographics)
• The main epidemiological measures:
• Proportions and rates,
• Prevalence and incidence,
• Relative risk, odds ratio,
The concept of causality, the Bradford Hill criteria of causality. Epidemiological studies (descriptive-analytical) and notes on randomized clinical trials.
THE "LEVELS OF PREVENTION": primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary
OUTLINE OF GENERAL EPIDEMIOLOGY and PREVENTION OF NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASES (the Burden of disease, screening)
PREVENTION OF SOME CHRONIC-DEGENERATIVE DISEASES:
Neoplastic Pathology, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease
GENERAL EPIDEMIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Microorganisms and us (saprophytes, commensals and pathogens), infection and disease; contagiousness, diffusivity, pathogenicity, virulence;
Sick and infected reservoirs and sources (humans - healthy, precocious, convalescent and chronic carriers);
MECHANISMS (WAYS) of transmission: direct, semi-direct, indirect transmission; vehicles and carriers.
GENERAL PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Notification, Diagnostic Assessment, Isolation
DISINFECTION: main disinfectants and applications in the health sector
STERILIZATION main sterilization methods (critical, semi-critical and non-critical instruments)
ASEPSIS (maintenance of sterility)
ANTISEPSIS (killing and removal of pathogens)
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS: what are vaccines, main types, general theory of active immunization. Vaccination campaigns. Vaccinations for childhood, adolescence, adults and at-risk categories; Immunoglobulins
SPECIAL PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES: notes on etiology, epidemiology, prevention)
• Tbc, Influenza, Meningitis, Covid-19
• Hepatitis A, foodborne diseases and foodborne infections
• Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV / AIDS
HEALTHCARE-RELATED INFECTIONS: definition, epidemiology, risk factors, preventive measures.
ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE: Climate change and the impact on health; Water (resource and drinking water criteria), Air (atmospheric pollution), Soil (waste disposal)
Bibliography
Igiene e Sanità pubblica. Secrets, domande e risposte 2021. Editor Carlo Signorelli, IX edizione, Società editrice Universo.
Learning material used during the lessons provided by the teacher.
Teaching methods
The course will be held through lectures to Students either in the classroom (“in presenza”) or in synchronous-streaming (“in telepresenza”) on the Teams platform. Therefore, the opportunity of Student/Teacher interaction will be preserved both face to face and remotely, by the simultaneous use of the Teams platform.
Lectures will be supported by slide presentations, which will be available to students on the Elly platform (https://elly.medicina.unipr.it).
Assessment methods and criteria
Written exam will assess student's learning and undertanding during the course.
Written examination, multiple choice test.
In case of the persistence of the health emergency, the exams will be conducted remotely, as follows:
structured written test conducted remotely (by Teams and Elly). The test consists of 30 multiple choice questions on the course contents (reference texts + documents uploaded to Elly during the course). There is no penalty for incorrect answers.
Students with SLD / BSE must first contact Le Eli-che: support for students with disabilities, D.S.A., B.E.S. (https://sea.unipr.it/it/servizi/le-eli-che-supporto-studenti-con-disabilita-dsa-bes
