NURS 6521 DISCUSSION UNIT

Week 4 Discussion Pneumonia Pneumonia is a common lung infection caused by germs, such as various bacteria, viruses, and fungi; it's often a complication of the flu, other viruses, bacteria and even fungi that can cause pneumonia (American Lung Association, 2018). Pneumonia can range in seriousness from mild to life threatening (Mayo Clinic, 2018). It is most serious for infants and young children, people older than age 65, and people with health problems or weakened immune systems (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Symptoms include, but are not limited to, chest pain with coughing, cough with phlegm, fatigue, fever, sweats, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, possible levels of confusion, shortness of breath, lower than normal body temperature in patients older than age 65, or people with weak immune systems (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Treatment Treatment options are dependent on the cause of the pneumonia infection. It can be treated with antibiotics for all but the viral infection, which some doctors treat with antivirals (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2017). Oxygen can be utilized for those who are experiencing shortness of breath. Cough syrups are contraindicated, as it is the body’s way of getting rid of the infection (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Fevers can be controlled with NSAIDs and drinking fluids will assist the body in loosening secretions and bringing up phlegm (Mayo Clinic, 2018). The primary goals of therapy for the three forms of Leishmaniasis pneumonia are to prevent mortality and morbidity, respectively (Aronson et al., 2016). Coccidioidomycosis is very common in certain regional areas, though its overall impact nationally and internationally is limited (Galgiani et al., 2016). As a consequence, the medical literature that specifically addresses management of coccidioidal infections is limited and to a large extent relies on the observations and uncontrolled experience of clinicians who practice in the regions endemic for the illness (Galgiani et al., 2016). The major differences between the 2016 guideline and the 2005 version [1] include the following: the use of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology for the evaluation of all available evidence (Table 1) [2]; the removal of the concept of healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP); and the recommendation that each hospital generate antibiograms to guide healthcare professionals with respect to the optimal choice of antibiotics (Kalil et al., 2016). Age and Pneumonia Pneumonia affects people of all ages, however, two age groups are at greater risk of developing pneumonia and having more severe pneumonia: Infants who are two years old or younger because their immune systems are still developing during the first few years of life and people who are 65 years old or older because their immune systems begin to change as a normal part of aging (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 2017). With children there are multiple drugs that cannot be prescribed due to age and weight and with the elderly there is an increased risk of medication noncompliance and antibiotic resistance. To reduce any negative side effects of treatment would depend solely on the side effects noted. If a patient exhibits any shortness of breath, oxygen would be given to those that require it, such as the elderly or compromised. Oral and IV antibiotics generally have the ability to cause nausea, which can be treated with antiemetics and antidiarrheals for those with diarrhea issues. Plenty of fluids and rest for the patients would always be recommended. References American Lung Association. (2018). Pneumonia. Retrieved June 20, 2018 from Arcangelo, V., & Peterson, A. (2017). Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice, 4th Edition. Wolters Kluwer Health. Aronson, N., Herwaldt, B., Libman, M., Pearson, R., Lopez-Velez, R., Weina, P., Carvalho, E., Ephros, M., Jeronimo, S., & Magill, A. (2016). Diagnosis and treatment of Leishmaniasis: Clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). Clinical Infectious Diseases. 63(12). e202-e264. Galgiani, J., Ampel, N., Blair, J., Catanzaro, A., Geertsma, F., Hoover, S., Johnson, R., Kusne, S., Lisse, J., MacDonald, J., Meyerson, S., Raksin, P., Siever, J., Stevens, D., Sunenshine, R., & Theodore, N. (2016). 2016 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) clinical practice guideline for the treatment of Coccidioidomycosis. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 63(6). e112-e146. Kalil, A., Metersky, M., Klompas, M., Muscedere, J., Sweeney, D., Palmer, L., Napolitano, L., O’Grady, N., Bartlett, J., Carratala, J., Solh, A., Ewig, S., Fey, P., File, T., Restrepo, M., Roberts, J., Waterer, G., Cruse, P., Knight, S., & Brozek, J. (2016). Management of adults with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia: 2016 Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Thoracic Society. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 63(5). e61-e111. Mayo Clinic. (2018). Pneumonia. Retrieved June 20, 2018 from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2017). Pneumonia. Retrieved June 20, 2018 from Robert, Great job on your post this week. I think there has been a vast amount of misdiagnosing going on with the common cold. Every time I work and there is a child that comes in with the sniffles, they are almost always diagnosed with strep or the flu. No one ever tells the family that the child has a cold. Instead it’s Tamiflu and a large bill. Children younger than six are at greatest risk of colds, especially if they spend time in child-care settings (Mayo Clinic, 2018). This age group is one of the most prevalent groups that come down with colds, but the elderly also suffer from this malady. What most parents cannot seem to comprehend is that antibiotics will not cure the common cold (Centers of Disease control and Prevention, 2018). It must run its course. However, this doesn’t sit well with the parents and they insist their children need antibiotics, not understanding that they were running the risk of antibiotic resistance when it would be truly needed. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Antibiotic prescribing and use in doctor’s offices. Retrieved June 22, 2018 from patients/common-illnesses/ Mayo Clinic. (2018). The Common Cold. Retrieved June 22, 2018 from Laurie