Disease,Diagnosis,Treatmentand Prevention

Disease may bedefined as the abnormal state in which part or all of the body is not properlyadjusted or is not capable of carrying on all its required functions.There are

marked variations inthe extent of the disease and in its effect on the person.

In order to treat adisease,the doctor obviously must first determine the nature of theillness-that is, make a diagnosis.A diagnosis is the conclusion drawn from anumber of

facts puttogether.The doctor must know the symptoms,which are the changes in bodyfunction felt by the patient;and the signs(also called objective symptoms)whichthe

doctor himself canobserve.Sometimes a characteristic group of signs(or symptoms)accompanied agiven disease.Such a group is called a syndrome.Frequently certain

laboratory tests areperformed and the results evaluated by the physician in making his diagnosis.

Although nurses donot diagnose,they play an extremely valuable role in this process by observingclosely for signs,encouraging the patient to talk about himself and his

symptoms,and thenreporting this in- formation to the doctor.Once the patient's disorder isknown,the doctor prescribes a course of treatment, also referred to astherapy.Many

measures in thiscourse of treatment are carried out by the nurse under the physician's orders.

In recent yearsphysicians,nurses and other health workers have taken on increasingresponsibilities in prevention.Throughout most of medical history,thephysician's aim has

been to cure apatient of an existing disease.However,the modern concept of prevention seeksto stop disease before it actually happens-to keep people well through the

promotion ofhealth.A vast number of organizations exist for this purpose, ranging from theWorld Health Organization(WHO)on an international level down to local private

and community healthprograms.A rapidly growing responsibility of the nursing profession iseducating individual patients toward the maintenance of total health-physical

and mental.Generallyspeaking,the physician is more willing to treat patients'physical disease thantheir mental illness.

A.Right

B.Wrong

C.Not mentioned