Pathology for Occupational Therapy

At the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. demonstrate general understanding of basic pathology and microbiology of common disease that occupational therapists will encounter in their practice; 2. describe the limitations imposed by pathology on the functioning of the individual; and 3. discuss the pathology of disease and infections in human body.

Definition of pathology. Diseases and relevant terms used in pathology. Causes and classification of diseases. Cell damage and its sequel. Inflammation, function and type. Acute inflammation: features, causes, vascular and cellular events. Chronic inflammation: causes, types, classification. Repair, wound healing by primary and secondary union, factors promoting and delaying the process. Infection and body’s’ defence against it. Cross infection and its control. Some important bacterial, fungal and viral infections including tuberculosis. Hypertrophy, dysplasia and dystrophy. Tumours, their aetiology, types, classifications and characteristics. Cysts, their formation and classification. Developmental anomalies or disturbances. Effects of ionising radiation on human tissues. Trauma, wounds, fractures, dislocations and bleeding. Systems’ pathology: Disorders of blood- RBCs, WBCs and thrombocytes. Disorders of circulations, the heart, and respiratory system. Diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract. Disorders of bones and joints. Disorders of blood: Constituents of blood and bone marrow. Regulation of hematopoiesis. Anaemia: Classification, clinical features & laboratory diagnosis. Hemodynamic disorders: Thrombo-embolic disease & shock, Ischemic, necrosis, thrombosis, embolism, Infarcation, shock’. Gangrene, Thromboangitis obliterans. Neoplasia – definition, classification, biological behaviour. Benign and malignant carcinoma and sarcoma and principles of their spread. Hypersensitivity diseases and immunity: brief overview of hypersensitivity reaction, allergies and auto immune diseases. Genetic disorders: brief overview of genetic diseases. Neurovascular diseases: i. Outline of cerebro-vascular disorders. ii. Trauma to the brain and spinal cord. iii. Demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis. iv. Degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease. v. Peripheral vascular disease vi. Poliomyelitis. Metabolic disorders – diabetis mellitus- types, pathogenesis, pathology, and laboratory diagnosis.