Chapter 15: Epidemiology and Nosocomial Infections

Question Type: Multiple Choice

1) The study of factors and mechanisms of disease frequency and spread within a population is known as:

a) Immunology
b) Pathology
c) Epidemiology
d) Etiology

Answer: c

Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

2) The relative number of individuals affected adversely by a particular disease during a set period of time within a given population.

a) Epidemic
b) Mortality
c) Surveillance
d) Morbidity

Answer: d

Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

3) The worldwide spread of an infectious disease is called a/an:

a) epidemic
b) endemic
c) sporadic
d) pandemic

Answer: d

Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

4) An infectious disease that occurs in a random and unpredictable manner is called:

a) sporadic
b) pandemic
c) epidemic
d) propagated epidemic

Answer: a

Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

5) An epidemic that arises from horizontal transmission and where the number of cases slowly rises and then falls is said to be of what type?

a) Common-source outbreak
b) Sporadic
c) Pandemic
d) Propagated epidemic

Answer: d

Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

6) An epidemiologist that studies the number of cases of a disease, those segments of the population affected by a disease and the locations and time periods of a disease while the outbreak occurs deals with what type of epidemiology?

a) Analytical
b) Descriptive
c) Experimental
d) None of these choices

Answer: b

Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

7) All of the following are important when considering a descriptive epidemiological study except the:

a) locations of disease cases
b) number of cases of a disease
c) time periods of disease development
d) cause-and-effect relationships of disease cases

Answer: d

Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

8) The total number of people infected within a population at a given time is the:

a) incidence
b) mortality
c) prevalence
d) morbidity

Answer: c

Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as incidence, prevalence, epidemic, and pandemic – and identify the three modes of disease transmission.
Section Reference 1: Section 15.1 Epidemiology

9) All of the following pertain to analytical studies except:

a) control groups
b) retrospective studies
c) cause-and-effect relationships of disease occurrences
d) data on microbe pathogenicity

Answer: d

Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective 1: LO 15.1 Define key terms used in epidemiology – such as