The human being is the common object of studies of all medical disciplines. Some of them (for instance, anatomy and physiology) study and describe human activity in normal conditions or develop «normology» of a human being. Most of the medical disciplines study the nature and mechanisms of a patient's vital activity or a human being's pathology. Pathophysiology is among them.
Pathophysiology is the part of medicine and biology which investigates and describes actual causes, mechanisms and regularities of onset, development and outcomes of pathological process and disease; formulates principles and methods of their diagnostics, treatment and prophylaxis; develops the doctrine of a disease and an ailing body; formulates theoretical guidelines in medicine and biology.
The above is presupposed by the etymology of the term"pathophysiology": from Greek pathos - suffering, illness; physis - nature, essence; logos - doctrine, science. In other words, pathophysiology is the doctrine of the nature of a pathological process and disease.
COMPONENTS OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
The object of pathophysiology studying and teaching covers the following three components (fig. 1):
1) disease;
2) typical (stereotypical) pathological processes (e.g. inflammation, fever, hypoxia, extreme conditions, etc.);
3) typical forms of organ and tissue pathology (e.g. anemia, abnormal heart rhythms, respiratory insufficiency, etc.)
Pathophysiology consists of three parts.
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Fig. 1
I. Nosology.
II. Studies of typical pathological processes. Typical are pathological processes that contribute to the pathogenesis of many diseases and syndromes, and serve as their significant and inseparable part.
III. Studies of typical forms of pathology of specific organs and organ systems. Similar to typical pathological processes typical forms of pathology of specific organs and organ systems are also components of various diseases.