...National Institutes of Health Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, which causes attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. See also: Pediatric asthma Causes, incidence, and risk factors Asthma is caused by inflammation in the airways. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swells. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by. In sensitive people, asthma symptoms can be triggered by breathing in allergy-causing substances (called allergens or triggers). Common asthma triggers include: * Animals (pet hair or dander) * Dust * Changes in weather (most often cold weather) * Chemicals in the air or in food * Exercise * Mold * Pollen * Respiratory infections, such as the common cold * Strong emotions (stress) * Tobacco smoke Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provoke asthma in some patients. Many people with asthma have a personal or family history of allergies, such as hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or eczema. Others have no history of allergies. Symptoms Most people with asthma have attacks separated by symptom-free periods. Some people have long-term shortness of breath with episodes of increased shortness of breath. Either wheezing or a cough may be the main symptom. Asthma attacks can last for minutes to days, and can become...
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...Overcrowding in Emergency Departments across the Country Overcrowding in Emergency Departments Abstract: Emergency departments (ED’s) are considered a necessary component in the health care system. Many patients have access to this department 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. There has been an increasingly large volume of emergency room visits by both adult and pediatric patients up to 43% within the last 5 years. The overuse of the ED’s medical services across the nation is commonly referred to as “overcrowding”. One major cause of overcrowding is the misuse of the emergency room. Another cause is the increased volume of illness. The third cause of overcrowding is a shortage of staff. These major issues can delay staff from providing care to those who need it most. Although staff gives priority to patients who have a higher acuity of illness these patients often have to wait long periods of time before a bed becomes available. Overcrowding is serious issue in the ED and most of the contributing factors are beyond the control of the emergency department. The first cause of overcrowding in the ED is the misuse of the emergency room. More than 50% of emergency room visits are for non-urgent concerns and over 46% of these medical complaints could have been solved by a primary care physician (PCP). PCP’s sometimes fail to properly communicate with their patients which can lead to the anxiety that sends the patient to seek assistance in the emergency room...
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...Competence is the ability of an individual to do a job properly. It is the combination of knowledge, skills and behavior used to improve the performance. The American Nurses Association defines a competency as “an expected level of performance that integrates knowledge skills, ability and judgment”. In these terms, the competency among ADN and BSN looks same, but there are some differences in various levels. In simple terms ADN is a “technical” nurse and BSN is a “professional” nurse. This difference is because ADN is trained mostly on clinical skills, while BSN training is focused on leadership, nursing research, management as well as clinical skills. Currently in United States Associated degree nurses usually receive this in 2 years on a community college settings. The Associate degree programs are designed to train students to provide entry level care in hospital settings. A large present of nurses take the associate degree pathway because of the shortened amount of time to begin work as a registered nurse and it is less expensive, compare to BSN program. The ADN demonstrate the competences in various aspect of patient care. This includes prevention, promotion, rehabilitations, maintenance and restoration of health of individuals of all age. Most of the competences the ADN applied to his or her work from the daily work experiences. Once graduated from school the ADN has to go through a period of orientation. Up on starting the carrier ADN is able to do the assessment...
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...document. For example, face sheet, discharge summary, progress notes, or x-ray report. Abbreviation | Letters Represent | Context Definition or Application within the Patient’s Chart | Source Document | 1. ICD | International classification of diseases. | States the classification of coding use | Admission SummarySheet | 2. CM | Clinical Modification | Classification of coding use | Admission Summary Sheet | 3. N/A | Not Available | This information concerning the patient is not available | Admission Summary Sheet | 4. ER | Emergency Room | States where the patient was taken for medical care | History & Physical | 5. C/O | Complains of | She made complain of | History & Physical | 6. SOB | Shortness of breath | Symptoms she was having | History & Physical | 7. mg | Milligram | The dosage of medication used | History & Physical | 8. po | By mouth | Method the patient will take her meds | History & Physical | 9. tid | Three times a day | The amount of times the patient will take her medication a day | History & Physical | 10. qd | Everyday | The frequency the patient needs to take her medication | History & Physical | 11. qod | Every other day | Skip a day then take another dose | History & Physical | 12. qhs | Every day at hours of sleep | A specific time the patient needs to use her medication | History & Physical | 13. tabs...
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...Blood Disorders Amanda Swindell HCA/240 August 9, 2015 Dr. Monica Chase Blood Disorders Blood is one of the most essential elements within the body. Blood is made up of plasma, red blood cells, and platelets. Blood is vital to the body functioning correctly, and it is important to understand that there are many types of blood disorders that can cause people to get sick. While there are many different types of blood disorders out there, this paper is going to cover three which are, anemia, sickle cell, and thrombocytopenia. Also, a review of plasma, red blood cells, and platelets to give a better understand of blood disorders. Plasma is the liquid portion of blood. Plasma is made up mostly of water and contains dissolved proteins, carbon dioxide, glucose, hormones, mineral ions, and clotting factors. Plasma acts as a storage unit for reserved proteins. Also, plasma keeps a person electrolytes in balanced form to protect the body from blood disorders and infection. If plasma in the blood is compromised, then the body cannot protect itself against blood disorders and infection ("American Red Cross", 2015). The red blood cells primary job is to transport oxygen. They are perhaps the most recognizable component of blood. Red blood cells are rich in oxygen. The cytoplasm of the red blood cell is rich with hemoglobin that binds oxygen and allows it to transport the oxygen throughout a person’s body. Hemoglobin is also what makes the blood look red. There are one billion red blood cells...
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...Marissa, a 7 year old child, present with increased wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing. With a previous diagnosis of asthma, her medications include an albuterol inhaler which she uses 3 to 5 times a day for the past 3 months. Her 14 point system review was unremarkable except for the chest which revealed wheezing on inspiration and expiration. It was noted that she was well-developed in mild distress. The differential diagnosis for this patient bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma exacerbation. Bronchitis is a respiratory condition that is characterized by inflammation of the lung mucus membrane. Typical symptoms are a persistent coughing, shortness of breath (SOB), chest discomfort, and...
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...References Myers, T. R., & Tomasio, L. (2011). Asthma: 2015 and Beyond... 47th Respiratory Care Journal Conference, “Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care: What Does the Future Hold?” November 2010, Arizona... includes discussion. Respiratory Care, 56(9), 1389-1410. doi:10.4187/respcare.01334 * Asthma is a multifactorial, chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. The knowledge that asthma is an inflammatory disorder has become a core fundamental in the definition of asthma. (coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.) * The prevalence of asthma among children changes with increasing age. As an example, boys have higher current asthma prevalence, compared with girls throughout most of childhood. * From 1980 through the mid-1990s, the asthma hospitalization rate steadily increased in children under 17 years of age. * Trend analysis identified an annual 2.9% increase from 1980 through 1991, but there has been no statistically significant trend after 1991. * Overall non asthma hospitalizations for children has decreased over that period, whereas the asthma hospitalization rate remained level. * In 2006 there were 21 asthma-related hospitalizations per 10,000 children, for a total of 155,000 hospitalizations; this represented approximately 5.6% of all hospitalizations among children in 2006. * Trend analysis found that, while asthma related mortality increased 3.2% per year from 1980 through 1996, a reversal thereafter led to an...
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...| HIV/AIDS: | A Global Epidemic | | [Type the author name] | HCA 240 HEALTH AND DISEASES | | HIV/AIDS: A Global Epidemic Human Immunodeficiency Virus also known as HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is a disease that attacks the immune system specifically targeting CD4 cells or T cells. HIV makes you more susceptible to certain types of cancers and infections that our bodies would normally resist such as pneumonia and meningitis (The Mayo Clinic, 2010). Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a global epidemic. There is an estimated 39.5 million people living with the virus today (The Mayo Clinic, 2010). Approximately 2.0 million people died from aid in 2008 (WHO, 2010). AIDS is developed in the final stage of the HIV infection. A person can live symptom free with the HIV infection for an extended period of time. Years may go by before the virus is even detected. To move from an HIV-positive diagnosis to an AIDS diagnosis, one must have one of 23 indicator diseases and have a T4 (or CD4) cell count of less than 200 (Mulvihill, Zelman, Holdaway, Tompary, Raymond, 2006). A normal count ranges from 800 to 1,200 (The Mayo Clinic, 2008) HIV is a very delicate virus. This virus will not last long outside the body. Because of this fact, the HIV infection cannot be transmitted through daily activities like greeting by shaking hands, hugging an infected person, or even through kissing. This disease is transmitted via contaminated body fluids including...
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...Running head: PREVENTION AND TREATMEMT PLAN FOR JUSTIN PERDUE Prevention and Treatment Plan for Justin Perdue October 9, 2015 Prevention and Treatment Plan for Justin Perdue Justin Perdue is a Caucasian, non-Hispanic twelve year old male brought in by his Mother for complaint of shortness of breath and wheezing while playing soccer. Patient also states that he has had a headache, and feels dizzy, and very tired since he moved to Colorado. Patient is up to date on immunizations per CDC recommendations. The patient’s Mother stated that he was a normal vaginal delivery, normal birth weight, at nine months. He does not take any medications, and has no known allergies, and no history of recent illness, or travel out of the country. Jason’s BMI is within normal range for his age, and he eats a diet low in fiber, and high in carbohydrates. He does not smoke, or use drugs or alcohol. Patient goes to public school, and participates in physical education. Jason also plays weekly baseball, soccer, and basketball. No history of any injuries. Jason moved from Southern California to Denver, Colorado 3 days ago. The family flew from California to Colorado. Patient lives in a single family home with his Mother, Father, younger sister, and one small terrier dog. Jason’s Father has a history of cardiovascular disease, he had a myocardial infarction in 2000, and both Mother and Father have diabetes. Paternal Grandfather died from complications...
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...M1D1 Question 1 Response When the hole between the left and right atria fails to close postpartum it is called an atrial septal defect. If the hole is between the left and right ventricles, it is known as a ventricular septal defect. What is important to realize with both of these defects is they are responsible for increased pulmonary blood flow in the infant; therefore, causing an array of developmental deficiencies. Atrial Septal Defect Due to increased arterial pressure on the left side of the heart that is greater than the right venous pressure, blood from the left atria will seep through the hole in the septum and go into the right atria. The increased amount of blood will then contract into the right ventricle and inevitably ending up...
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...Working as a nurse practitioner in the pediatric primary care setting, it has always been a goal of mine to approach each patient and their caregiver in a holistic manner. I believe it is my duty to put my personal beliefs aside and educate patients and caregivers based upon evidence based practice and promote a shared decision-making approach to the patient’s care plan. However, this can be a difficult task to implement when the beliefs of the clinician and the patient or caregiver oppose. I have recently been confronted with this issue in my practice. A kind mother of one of my patients, who has a history of many visits over the past 6 years with a diagnosis of “wheezing” or “chronic cough,” brings her child in for another episode of significant coughing and mild...
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...Asthma What is Asthma? Asthma is an incurable lung disease in which the airways of the lungs swell and narrow making it difficult to breathe (National Institutes of Health, 2011). Symptoms of Asthma include: • Shortness of breathe • Tightness in the chest • Coughing • Wheezing Causes The exact cause of Asthma is still undetermined but researchers believe genetic and environmental factors may play an important role in the diagnosis (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Some of those factors are: • An inherited predisposition to have allergies • The parents have Asthma • Mother smoked while pregnant • Exposure to airborne allergens or viral infections while the immune system is still developing • Being overweight • Low birth weight A person living with Asthma can function normally; they do not experience symptoms on a daily basis. Although daily activities are not compromised in any way, people with Asthma must be aware of conditions that can cause the airways to narrow and swell (Mayo clinic, 2011). Some things that can trigger Asthma symptoms are: • Allergens from dust, mold, pollen, etc. • Irritants like cigarette smoke and chemicals such as cleaning products • Physical activity • Respiratory infections like colds Diagnosis Asthma is diagnosed by a primary care doctor and the diagnosis is based on family history, medical history, a physical exam, and test results (National Institutes of Health, 2011). The tests commonly used to diagnose Asthma...
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...When someone who is not immunized against the bacteria comes in contact with droplets from someone with the disease, they are at high risk of transmitting the disease through respiratory droplets and also through coughing and sneezing. Laboratory tests are usually carried out in order to find out diagnosis of Hib. Either blood is drawn from the patients or they can use spinal fluid. According to Center of Disease Control 2014, ‘symptoms of pneumonia usually include fever (but older people may have lower than normal body temperature), cough, shortness of breath, chills, chest pain that comes and goes with breathing, headache, muscle pain and excessive tiredness. Haemophilus influenza disease is treated with antibiotics that include mainly amoxicillin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin. These antibiotics are given for over 10 days until symptoms disappear. Meningitis is treated using ceftriaxone or cefotaxime that is given intravenously to prevent brain damage. Hib has a lot of complications. “Children who survive Hib meningitis may develop permanent neurological disability including brain damage, hearing loss and mental retardation. 15% to 30% of children who survive Hib disease are at risk for these disabilities, 5% to 10% cases of Hib meningitis are at risk of dying” World Health Organization...
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...In a spirometry test, while you are sitting, you breathe into a mouthpiece that is connected to an instrument called a spirometer. The spirometer records the amount and the rate of air that you breathe in and out over a period of time. For some of the test measurements, you can breathe normally and quietly. Other tests require forced inhalation or exhalation after a deep breath. Sometimes you will be asked to inhale the substance or a medicine to see how it changes your test results. Lung volume measurement can be done in two ways: * The most accurate way is to sit in a sealed, clear box that looks like a telephone booth (body plethysmograph) while breathing in and out into a mouthpiece. Changes in pressure inside the box help determine the lung volume. * Lung volume can also be measured when you breathe nitrogen or helium gas through a tube for a certain period of time. The concentration of the gas in a chamber attached to the tube is measured to estimate the lung volume. To measure diffusion capacity, you breathe a harmless gas, called a tracer gas, for a very short time, often for only one breath. The concentration of the gas in the air you breathe out is measured. The difference in the amount of gas inhaled and exhaled measures how effectively gas travels from the lungs into the blood. This test allows the doctor to estimate how well the lungs move oxygen from...
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...designed to kill and because their mode of action is not specific to one species, they often kill or harm organisms other than pests, including humans” (Lah). The World Health Organization recognizes that there are 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning each year and over 200,000 deaths. People living in developing countries are at higher risk for pesticide poisoning because of low regulations regarding the release of pesticides in the environment and in food. Pesticides have the greatest effect on young children. Children have smaller bodies and weaker immune systems than adults, making them more susceptible to the harm of chemicals in their foods. In an article from Time magazine by Dr. Alan Greene, he cited, “The American Academy of Pediatrics has also warned about the exposure to pesticides. Children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity, and chronic health implications from both acute and chronic exposure are emerging”(Greene). Children are exposed to higher levels of pesticides because they are so small, and the risk can even increase because they are eating foods such as apples or bananas, which contain high levels of pesticides. Organic food avoids the use of these toxic chemicals, creating a risk free and health ensured diet. Organically grown foods are much better for our environment than foods that are farmed with pesticides. In her book, “What the Fork are You eating”, certified nurse and dietician, Stephanie Sacks,...
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