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Environmental medicine
Environmental medicine The interactions between risk factors in the environment and human health. Environmental medicine focuses on the causes of disease in an environmental context. The environment creates exposures to many different physical, biological and chemical agents. Environmental exposures may be general such as to UV-irradiation from the sun or specific such as to toxic mushrooms and dioxin. Current concerns in environmental medicine include but are by no means limited to the environmental contributions to cancer, ozone depletion and its effects on health, global warming, air pollution, airborne allergens, water pollution, contaminated sites, nuclear accidents, radon, mercury and cadmium toxicity to the kidney, and food poisoning.
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Risk
In clinical trials, the probability of harm or discomfort for subjects, arising from the test product. Acceptable risk differs depending on the condition for which a product is being tested. A product for sore throat, for example, will be expected to have a low incidence of side effects. However, unpleasant side effects may be an acceptable risk when testing a promising treatment for a life-threatening illness.
Environment
The sum of the total of the elements, factors and conditions in the surroundings which may have an impact on the development, action or survival of an organism or group of organisms. The environment is as opposed to genetics. We are the product of our genetic inheritance and our environment.
Disease
Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.
Toxic
Poisonous.
Dioxin
One of a number of poisonous petroleum-derived chemicals which are produced when herbicides (substances used for killing plants) are made or when plastics are burned. Dioxins are chemically dibenzo-p-dioxins. One of the best known is TCDD (2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD).
Cancer
Any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream.
Radon
A colorless, radioactive gas produced by the decay of radium. The presence of sufficient quantities of this gas in homes is linked with the development of lung cancer.
Cadmium
A metallic element whose salts are toxic and cause cancer.
Kidney
One of the paired organs that excrete urine. The kidneys are bean-shaped organs (about 11 cm long, 5 cm wide, and 3 cm thick) lying on either side of the vertebral column, posterior to the peritoneum, about opposite the twelfth thoracic and first three lumbar vertebrae.
Food
Any substance eaten to provide nutritional support for the body.
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Environment
The sum of the total of the elements, factors and conditions in the surroundings which may have an impact on the development, action or survival of an organism or group of organisms. The environment is as opposed to genetics. We are the product of our genetic inheritance and our environment.
Environmental tobacco smoke
Abbreviated ETS. Secondhand smoke. See: ETS.
Environmental toxicology
The toxicity and toxicology of environmental pollutants in air, dust, sediment, soil and water, and natural toxins in the environment.
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Enterostomal therapist
A health care specialist trained to help patients care for and adjust to their colostomy.
Enterovirus
A virus that enters the body through the gastrointestinal tract and thrives there, often moving on to attack the nervous system. The polioviruses are enteroviruses. Enteroviruses are small viruses that are made of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein. In addition to the three different polioviruses, there are 61 non-polio enteroviruses that can cause disease in humans: 29 Coxsackieviruses (23 Coxsackie A viruses and 6 Coxsackie B viruses), 28 echoviruses, and 4 other enteroviruses.
Entomology
The scientific study of insects. The application of entomology to medicine is termed medical entomology.
Entomophobia
An abnormal and persistent fear of insects. Sufferers experience anxiety even though they realize that most insects pose no threat. To avoid insects, they may frequently clean rooms and carpets, sweep hallways, spray insect-killer or seal off doors and windows. Entophobia (insect phobia) includes acarophobia (mites: scabies) and arachnophobia (spiders). A true insect phobia is defined by a persistent irrational fear of and compelling desire to avoid insects, mites, spiders, or similar phobic objects and significant distress from the disturbance despite recognition by the phobic person that their fear is inappropriate, unreasonable, and excessive.
Environment
The sum of the total of the elements, factors and conditions in the surroundings which may have an impact on the development, action or survival of an organism or group of organisms. The environment is as opposed to genetics. We are the product of our genetic inheritance and our environment.
Environmental medicine
Environmental tobacco smoke
Abbreviated ETS. Secondhand smoke. See: ETS.
Environmental toxicology
The toxicity and toxicology of environmental pollutants in air, dust, sediment, soil and water, and natural toxins in the environment.
Enzootic
Endemic in animals. An enzootic disease is constantly present in an animal population, but usually only affects a small number of animals at any one time.
Enzyme defect
A disorder resulting from a deficiency (or functional abnormality) of an enzyme. In 1902 Archibald Garrod first attributed a disease to an enzyme defect: an inborn error of metabolism. Today, newborns are routinely screened for certain enzyme defects such as PKU (phenylketonuria) and galactosemia, an error in the handling (metabolism) of the sugar galactose.
Enzyme replacement
A strategy designed to replace missing enzyme activity in a patient. This strategy currently involves the administration of a purified protein (the enzyme) by intravenous infusion.
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