CSET Health Science cheat sheet

Health is defined by WHO as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Levels of prevention: primary (prevent onset, e.g., immunization), secondary (early detection, e.g., screening), tertiary (limit disability, e.g., rehabilitation).

The health care continuum runs from promotion and prevention through diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation to long-term care and hospice.

Epidemiologic triad: agent, host, and environment interact to produce disease; breaking any leg interrupts transmission.

Incidence counts new cases in a period (risk of developing disease); prevalence counts all existing cases at a point (burden of disease).

Crude rates use total population; adjusted (specific) rates stratify by age, sex, or another factor to allow fair comparison between groups.

Standard precautions apply to all patients: hand hygiene, gloves, gown, mask, eye protection, and safe sharps handling regardless of diagnosis.

The chain of infection has six links: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host.

Vital statistics terminology: morbidity = illness; mortality = death; natality = birth; a notifiable disease must be reported to public health authorities.

Three levels of health promotion per Leavell and Clark: primary prevention (before disease), secondary prevention (early detection), tertiary prevention (limiting disability).

Healthy People objectives are tracked with measurable targets over a decade; leading indicators include tobacco use, obesity, physical activity, and access to care.

Behavior-change models: Health Belief Model (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues, self-efficacy); Transtheoretical Model stages = precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance.

Social Cognitive Theory: behavior is shaped by personal, behavioral, and environmental factors; self-efficacy and observational learning are central constructs.

Screening principles (Wilson–Jungner): the condition must be important, have a detectable early stage, an accepted test, and effective early treatment; test must be acceptable and cost-effective.

Levels of prevention applied to a disease: mammography for breast cancer is secondary prevention; smoking cessation before disease onset is primary prevention.

Sensitivity = true positives / (true positives + false negatives); specificity = true negatives / (true negatives + false positives).

Positive predictive value depends on prevalence: as prevalence rises, PPV rises even if sensitivity and specificity are unchanged.

Immunization concepts: active immunity follows antigen exposure (vaccine or infection); passive immunity is transferred antibody (maternal or immunoglobulin) and is temporary.

Social determinants of health include income, education, employment, housing, food security, transportation, and social support; they shape exposure and access.

Health disparities are differences in health status or care linked to social disadvantage; health inequities are those differences judged unfair and avoidable.

The epidemiologic transition describes a shift from infectious disease and high mortality to chronic disease as populations develop economically.

Demographic transition stages: high birth and death rates, then falling death rates, then falling birth rates, ending with low stable rates.

Cultural competence in care: recognize the patient's health beliefs, language, and decision-making norms, and negotiate a plan that respects them.

US insurance structure vocabulary: premium (payment for coverage), deductible (amount paid before coverage begins), copayment (fixed fee per service), coinsurance (percentage of cost).

Medicare covers people 65 and older plus certain disabled individuals; Medicaid is income-based and jointly funded by federal and state governments.

Ethical principles in health care: autonomy (patient choice), beneficence (do good), nonmaleficence (avoid harm), justice (fair distribution), veracity (truthfulness).

Informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of risks and alternatives, comprehension, and voluntariness; it can be withdrawn at any time.

Anatomy vs. physiology: anatomy is structure, physiology is function; both are organized from cell to tissue to organ to organ system to organism.

Homeostasis is maintained by negative feedback (output opposes the change, e.g., thermoregulation) and amplified by positive feedback (e.g., childbirth, blood clotting).

Vital sign reference ranges for adults: temperature 36.5–37.5 °C (97.7–99.5 °F); pulse 60–100 beats/min; respirations 12–20/min; blood pressure <120/80 mm Hg.

Body planes: sagittal divides left and right; frontal (coronal) divides anterior and posterior; transverse divides superior and inferior.

Directional terms: proximal nearer the trunk, distal farther; medial toward midline, lateral away; superior above, inferior below; anterior front, posterior back.

Metric conversions: 1 kg = 2.2 lb; 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 L = 1000 mL; 1 tsp = 5 mL; 1 oz = 30 mL.

Body mass index = weight in kg / (height in m)^2; BMI 18.5–24.9 is normal, 25–29.9 overweight, 30 and above obese.

Chain of command and scope of practice: perform only tasks within your training and legal scope, and report changes in patient condition to the supervising clinician.

The SOAP note format documents care as Subjective (patient report), Objective (observable data), Assessment (interpretation), and Plan (next steps).