Medical Science: Vaccines, Drugs, and Disease Prevention

Serums and Vaccines

Serums

Serums are artificial preparations containing specific antibodies against a pathogen.

Vaccines

Vaccines are prepared to contain the pathogen that causes disease, but in a weakened, dead, or fragmented state, so it cannot cause damage. This triggers a response similar to a natural infection. The individual is protected against the pathogen if contact occurs later because of the memory cell information.

Pharmacology and Drugs

Drug Control

The control of infectious diseases is managed through drug products. The most important are antibiotics, although they have no effect on viruses (such as the flu).

Definition of a Drug

A drug is an active principle, or a set of them, as part of a pharmaceutical form designed for use in humans or animals with particular qualities to prevent, diagnose, treat, alleviate, or cure diseases, symptoms, or pathological states.

Generic Drugs

A generic drug is sold under the name of the active ingredient and is bioequivalent to the original brand; that is, it is equal in composition and dosage form and has the same bioavailability. It can be recognized because the medicine package, instead of a trade name, contains the name of the substance it is made of (called the active principle in the ICD classification) followed by the name of the manufacturing laboratory. In Spain and other countries, the letters EFG (Generic Pharmaceutical Equivalent) are added.

Health and Disease Prevention

The State of Health

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Factors that determine health include: lifestyle and behavior, environment, biology, and the system of health care.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is any detectable circumstance of a person or group of persons related to the probability of developing or producing a disease. Types include: modifiable and non-modifiable.

Preventive Medicine

Preventive medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with preventing the appearance, development, and maintenance of disease in the individual, family, or group of people, based on scientific knowledge. It consists of three levels.

Understanding Illness and Pathology

Illness and Pathology

An illness is a physical or mental disorder that causes disturbances in normal body functions, either at a physical or psychological level. Pathology refers to the changes occurring in the body because of a disease.

Non-infectious Diseases

Non-infectious diseases affect the normal operation of body equipment and systems. Based on their causes, they are divided into: hereditary, mental, specific, autoimmune, and accidents.

Infectious Diseases

An infectious disease is a clinical expression consistent with an infection caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and sometimes protozoa. Depending on the characteristics of the pathogen, they can be distinguished by: infectivity and virulence. The phases include: incubation, prodrome (first signs), and clinical (all symptoms).