PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
TRISHZA BADAJOS
WHAT THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IS?
 Physiologia
o fysis = nature; logos = science
 Pathophysiologia
o pathos = disease, pain,
suffering
Physiology – Healthy
Pathophysiology - Diseased
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY - /PAPHY/
 PaPhy is a biomedical science on the
mechanisms related to development
and elimination of pathological
processes and diseases
 PaPhy is a biomedical science dealing
with functional changes in diseased
organism
 PaPhy deals with the dynamic aspects
of pathological processes and diseases.
It studies disordered or altered
functions - the physiologic mechanisms
altered by disease in the living organism
 Pathophysiology deals with temporal
and spatial dynamics in the intensity of
pathological processes
 Pathophysiology is devoted to study the
protective and defensive mechanisms
of body tissue, organs and systems, and
their role in defense against noxae, in
pathogenesis of disease, and in
sanogenesis
 Pathophysiology belongs to core
subjects of undergraduate medical
education
 Pathophysiology deals with logic of life
under pathological conditions
 Pathophysiology helps us to understand
the logic of life during development of
pathological processes
 Pathophysiology creates a bridge
between sciences and clinical subjects
in undergraduate medical education

Pathophysiology is a modern
integrative
biomedical science founded on basic
and clinical research that is concerned
with the mechanisms responsible for
the initiation, development, and
treatment of pathological processes in
humans and animals. - International
Society for Pathophysiology (1998)
WHY PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IS IMPORTANT FOR
MEDICAL STUDENTS AND PHYSICIANS
1. It helps them to find answers to
important questions related to disease
processes:
a) What is the cause/causes of the
disease, and why the disease is
developing
b) What are the mechanisms
responsible for disease onset,
progression, and recovery
c) What are the mechanisms
responsible for development of
symptoms and signs of disease
- signs – observation
- symptoms – nararamdaman
2. If doctors are able to understand the
causes and mechanisms of the disease,
then they are able to find the way how
to influence them rationally
RELATION AMONG PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND
OTHER SUBJECTS OF UNDERGRADUATE
MEDICAL EDUCATION
 Biology – pathological
processes begin frequently at
the cell level
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
TRISHZA BADAJOS

Anatomy and histology (macroand microstructural) properties of the human body is
essential for understanding
their pathology

Biochemistry – biochemical
processes are changed under
pathological condition
Biophysics – biophysical
properties of cells, tissues
and organs determine their
structural and functional
characteristics
Physiology – firstly, we have to
understand the functions of the
healthy tissues, organs and
systems of the body, than we
are able to distinguish
pathological functions
Pathological anatomy – to
understand the microstructural
and macrostructural changes
under pathological conditions
helps to understand functional
changes and vice versa
Microbiology and immunology
– the subject help us to
understand of the mechanisms
involved indevelopment of
disease caused mainly by
biologic noxas and disorders of
immune system
Pharmacology – PaPhy enables
the doctor to treat diseases
rationally (causally)
Clinical subjects – PaPhy is a
theory of disease, clinic is
medical practice
Humanistic subjects
(psychology, ethics, sociology,
antropology...) – psychologic
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and social factors play an
important role in disease
development
THE POSITION OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IN
UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION
1. It becomes an integrative biomedical
subject
2. It becomes a bridge between the
subjects of sciences and clinical
medicine
3. It is an important part of
undergraduate medical education
THE MAIN TASKS OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
1. To teach mechanisms of diseases
2. To help to understand the substance of
health
3. To help students to understand the
logic of life under pathological
conditions
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
TRISHZA BADAJOS
STRUCTURE OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
1. General pathophysiology – content It
deals with general pathologic
processes, and pathomechanisms: -thay
are involved in pathogenesis of more
than one disease. It also contain
explanation of some basic medical
terms
Examples of general pathological
processes –
o inflammation, fever,
hyperthermia, hypothermia,
shock, stress, edemas,
disturbances of control
mechanisms,hyperreactivity,
hyporeactivity, damage of
genetic information.
 Defensive and adaptive mechanisms
- non-specific and specific immunity,
hypertrophy, atrophy, hyperfunction,
hypofunction, homeostasis
 Increased predisposition to onset of
disease (diathesis, athopy) – due to
genetic or/and environmental factors
ESSENTIAL TERMINOLOGY
a) Nosology /nosos = disease; logos =
science/
- Systematically describes the specific
type of disease and this is the base for
creation classification system of
diseases
b) Etiology of disease /aitiá = cause/
- Deals with noxae (causes) which are
involved in disease onset and with
conditions under which the causes are able
to induce disease processes (Oposit -
etiology of health: deals with factors
which promote the health)
c) Pathogenesis /pathos = pain, suffering,
distress, genesis - onset/
- Deals with mechanisms involved in
disease onset and diseases development
(pathomechanisms)
d) Sanogenesis /sanos = health/
- Deals with mechanisms involved in
recovery from disease to health
e) Semiology /sémeion = sign, symptom/
- Deals with symptoms and signs of
diseases
∙ Symptoms – subjective feeling of
disease
∙ Signs – objective parameters of
changed functions and structures of body
systems
f) Tanatogenesis /thanatos = death/
- Deals with processes leading to death
2. Special pathophysiology - is devoted to
analysis and explanation of
pathomechanisms involved in
functional disturbances of the organs
and systems of the organism:
Content of special pathophysiology:
o
o
o
hematologic disorders
disorders of cardiovascular
system
dysfunctions of respiratory
system
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
TRISHZA BADAJOS
o
o
o
o
o
o
disorders of uropoietic system
neurologic disorders
dysfunctions of endocrine
system
metabolic disorders
disorders of reproductive
system
dysfunctions of of GIT
SPECIAL SECTIONS OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
o Clinical pathophysiology
/clinical physiology/
o Space pathophysiology
o Experimental pathophysiology
o Pathophysiology of extreme –
events
o Ocupational pathophysiology
and PaPhy of sports
o Adaptation pathophysiology
o Cellular and molecular
REMARKS TO PATHOGENESIS
 Pathogenesis of disease processes can
not be reduced to only quantitative
changes of structures, functions and
mechanisms presenting in healthy
people
 It is necessary to take into account
development of qualitatively new
processes, which are harmful for the
body structure and functions
One example of such new pathologic
mechanism is vicious circle (a complex
of events that reinforces itself through
a feedback loop toward greater
instability)
HISTORY OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
 Hippocrates (460-370 BC)- he was the
first to construct theories of the causes
of disease based on what he had
observed in his patients
His fundamental truth: “there
are two factors acting alone or
in combination which cause
illness – the intrinsic or
constitutional make-up of the
person, and an extrinsic or
environmental agent”, is still
valid.
 Once normal functions of the body had
been described it was but a step to
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
TRISHZA BADAJOS
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investigate states of disease (from the
end of 16th century)
C. Bernard (1813-1878) - Introduction
to experimental medicine (1865)
Rudolf Virchow - he introduces term
„pathological physiology“ to medical
terminology
Galliot /1819 / - author of„Manual in
general pathology and pathological
physiology“
A.F. Hecker / 1790/ - author„Textbook
in pathophysiology
Excellent pathophysiologist from the
past: J.E. Purkyne, Prof. Pashutin, Prof.
Pavlov /from Russia/, Prof. Hans Selye
/Canada-1907-1982/ - Stress theory; ...
METHODS USED IN PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL
RESEARCH
1. Observation
2. Animal experiment
3. Clinical – pathophysiological study
4. Elaboration of experimental to create
models of pathological processes –
animal's models, mathematical
models...
RESEARCH AT THE DEPT. OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
- It is devoted to research on PaPhy of
respiratory system, especially to defensive
mechanisms of the airways and lungs, and to
visceral neurophysiology and PaPhy
THE MAIN AIMS OF TEACHING
PATHOHYSIOLOGY
Students should understand
fundamental general and specific
pathomechanisms involved in onset,
development and ending of diseases
To fulfil this aim is necessary:
a. to know and understand
pathophysiological terms
b. to know and understand
essential pathomechanisms
c. to connect separate
pathomechanisms to rational
pathogenetic network
characteristic for different
pathological processes
d. to understand a pathologic
process as event which
influence the whole body
e. to understand
pathomechanizms as dynamic
events
THE ROLES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN
TEACHING PROCESS
1. Student has to study, not simply
memorise facts
2. Individual study and seminars should
be focused to obtain lasting knowledge
on pathophysiology
3. Teacher will help students with creation
of complex view on pathogenesis of
diseases
 The source of lasting knowledge is
understanding of the pathomechanisms
(Understanding is a kind of ecstasy)
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
TRISHZA BADAJOS