NSG 6435 Week 4 Discussion Case Study: HEENT and Respiratory Infections Essay

Case Study: HEENT and Respiratory Infections Essay

Discussion: iHuman Case Study – HEENT and Respiratory Infections

This discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered. For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area. To support your work, use your course textbook readings and the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format. Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial postings. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment. For this assignment, you will complete an iHuman case study based on the course objectives and weekly content. iHuman cases emphasize core learning objectives for an evidence-based primary care curriculum. Throughout your nurse practitioner program, you will use the iHuman case studies to promote the development of clinical reasoning through the use of ongoing assessments and diagnostic skills and to develop patient care plans that are grounded in the latest clinical guidelines and evidence-based practice. The iHuman assignments are highly interactive and a dynamic way to enhance your learning. Material from the iHuman cases may be present in the quizzes, the midterm exam, and the final exam. Here you can view information on how to access and navigate iHuman. This week, complete the iHuman case titled “Katherine Harris.” Apply information from the iHuman Case Study to answer the following questions: Do you recommend a limited or an involved use of antibiotics in treatment of these diseases and other unconfirmed bacterial illnesses and why? What are the standards regarding the use of antibiotics in pediatric population, and what assessment findings would warrant prescribing an antibiotic for Asthma symptoms? Using national guidelines and evidence-based literature, develop an Asthma Action Plan for this patient. Do the etiology, diagnosis, and management of a child who is wheezing vary according to the child’s age? Why or why not? Which objective of the clinical findings will guide your diagnosis? Why? When is a chest x-ray indicated in this case? Case Study: HEENT and Respiratory Infections Essay.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;

Introduction

Head and ear infections are common in childhood. Head and neck infections can be very serious, even fatal. There are many causes of these infections, including viral, bacterial and parasitic agents. It is important for healthcare professionals to recognize the different types of these infections so that appropriate treatment can be given to the patient.

Common Causes of HEENT Infections

Here are some common causes of HEENT infections:

• Viral Infections

• Bacterial Infections

• Fungal Infections

• Parasitic Infections

Noninfectious Causes

Viral Agents Associated with Respiratory Diseases

Viral causes of respiratory diseases include:

• Influenza viruses are known to cause a range of respiratory illnesses. They can be transmitted from person to person by direct contact with an infected individual’s respiratory secretions, droplets or aerosols (e.g., sneezing). The incubation period for influenza is usually three to five days but may range up to two weeks in some cases.

• Rhinoviruses are also spread through direct contact with infected people or their secretions or respiratory droplets and account for approximately 80% of all viral infections affecting children under 18 years old worldwide.[1] Symptoms include fever, headache and coughing.[2] If left untreated it can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or death.[3] Rhinovirus accounts for around 20%–40%[4][5] of all cases globally each year resulting in over 2 million deaths annually worldwide; however down syndrome has been linked with its prevalence being higher than average among pregnant women living at high altitudes where there has been more research into this topic[6].

Bacterial Agents Associated with Respiratory Disease

• Streptococcus pneumoniae:

• The most common cause of bacterial respiratory tract infections.

• Staphylococcus aureus:

• A common bacterium that can cause skin infections and boils in people, as well as pneumonia in both adults and children.

• Streptococcus pyogenes: This bacteria is responsible for causing strep throat, impetigo (a superficial skin infection) or cellulitis (an acute bacterial skin lesion). It can also cause ear infections and eye conjunctivitis (pinkeye).

Special considerations for infants, children and elderly patients

In general, infants, children and elderly patients are more likely to have otitis media (middle ear infections) compared to younger adults. Children also have a higher risk of developing sinusitis and respiratory tract infections due to the immaturity of their immune systems.

Bacterial infections are common in older patients because they may not be able to fight off the bacteria as well as younger individuals without proper immunity or treatment. Viral respiratory tract infections tend to occur more often in infants and young children due to decreased immune function at birth.

How to take appropriate history, perform a physical exam, and make clinical diagnoses

• Take a thorough history. Ask the patient about their chief complaint, past medical history, medications and current health status.

• Perform a physical exam. Check for signs of respiratory distress (tachypnea or dyspnea), fever and tachycardia; check vital signs (heart rate, temperature). Also assess extremities for cyanosis or edema; inspect eyes thoroughly for redness/swelling/uveitis; palpate neck muscles to detect lymphadenopathy.

• Consider age-related changes in body systems such as bones, joints and skin as you perform these tests

How to select the appropriate diagnostic tests for each disease entity

The diagnostic tests used to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of respiratory infections include:

• Chest x-rays. These may be taken without contrast if they are currently able to detect no respiratory tract abnormalities. They can also be used to rule out other diseases that cause similar symptoms (such as lung cancer).

• Blood tests for white blood cells, erythrocytes and platelets count; red cell distribution width; hemoglobin concentration. These tests can indicate whether you have an active infection or not, but they’re not always reliable in determining how severe your condition is because many different factors affect these values (your age and weight are two examples). If you have low numbers on these blood tests, ask your doctor if there’s anything else besides antibiotics that might help treat your symptoms — sometimes just sleeping more helps!

The key to recognizing infections of the head, eye, ear, nose, and throat is taking a careful history and performing a thorough physical exam.

The key to recognizing infections of the head, eye, ear, nose and throat is taking a careful history and performing a thorough physical exam. The patient’s symptoms should be recorded along with any information about their medical history as well as their social history.

In addition to taking this type of comprehensive history on each visit with your patients, you may want to consider keeping notes on what questions were asked at each visit so that when you need them later in case there are any questions about certain topics that aren’t covered during an initial visit (such as allergies or medications).

Conclusion

While there may be a lot of overlap between the causes of HEENT infections and respiratory diseases, there are some important differences. These include:

• Viral agents associated with HEENT infections tend to be more common in adults than children;

• Bacterial agents associated with HEENT infections tend to be more common in children than adults;

• For viral and bacterial diseases, these viruses and bacteria can cause both acute (short-term) as well as chronic (long-term) conditions;

• In contrast, for example, colds do not cause chronic conditions like asthma attacks or pneumonia.