Match each epidemiological study scenario or clinical investigation (left) with the most appropriate measure of disease frequency used to describe the findings (right).
- Investigators determine the proportion of attendees at a catered community event who developed acute gastroenteritis within 72 hours.Attack rate
- A health department conducts a single-day community screening to measure the proportion of residents currently living with untreated hypertension.Point prevalence
- A dynamic cohort of healthcare workers is monitored over a decade to track new cases of bloodborne pathogen conversions, accounting for different dates of hire and resignation.Incidence rate (incidence density)
- An intensive care unit quality committee calculates the proportion of patients admitted with septic shock who expire from the condition within 30 days.Case fatality rate
Answer
The catered event outbreak matches Attack rate; the single-day screening matches Point prevalence; the dynamic occupational cohort matches Incidence rate; and the septic shock mortality matches Case fatality rate.
Epidemiological metrics must be matched to the temporal dynamics of the population being studied. Short outbreaks use attack rates; single-day snapshots use point prevalence; dynamic longitudinal follow-ups require incidence rates utilizing person-time; and survival among diagnosed patients utilizes the case fatality rate.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Measures of Disease Frequency