Understanding Disease Exacerbations and Types

Exacerbations and Disease Types

• Exacerbations: Recurrence of pronounced symptoms in a disease at a later time.
• Sub-Acute: Symptoms are pronounced but persist longer than in acute conditions.
• Organic Diseases: Result from structural changes in organs or tissues.
• Functional Diseases: No anatomical changes; symptoms arise from abnormal responses to stimuli.
• Occupational Diseases: Linked to factors related to an individual's occupation.
• Venereal Diseases: Transmitted through sexual relations.
• Familial Diseases: Occur in multiple family members.
• Epidemic: Large-scale outbreak affecting many individuals simultaneously (e.g., SARS).
• Endemic: Disease presents continuously or recurs within a community (e.g., malaria).
• Pandemic: Widespread epidemic affecting an entire country or continent.
• Sporadic: Occasional case occurrences (e.g., dengue, leptospirosis).

Levels of Prevention by Leavell and Clark

• Primary Prevention: Prevents disease at a pre-pathologic stage to maintain health.
  • Health Promotion: Includes education, counseling, genetic screening, and nutrition.
  • Specific Protection: Involves immunizations, hygiene, environmental sanitation, and accident protection.
• Secondary Prevention: Identifies illnesses early to prevent disability and limit complications.
  • Early Diagnosis: Includes case finding, screening surveys, and prevention of communicable diseases.

Nursing Theories

• Abdellah's Approach: Focuses on problem-solving and patient-centered care.
  • Defined nursing based on health needs and developed 21 nursing-problem areas.
• Levine's Conservational Principles: Emphasizes conservation as a nursing intervention.
  • Four Principles: Energy, structural integrity, personal integrity, and social integrity.

Body Temperature and Measurement

• Pyrexia: Body temperature exceeds normal ranges.
• Hyperpyrexia: Very high fever (41ºC or 105.8ºF and above).
• Hypothermia: Subnormal body temperature.
• Normal Temperature Ranges:
  • Oral: 36.5 – 37.5 ºC.
  • Axillary: 35.8 – 37.0 ºC.
  • Rectal: 37.0 – 38.1 ºC.
  • Tympanic: 36.8 – 37.9 ºC.

Methods of Temperature Measurement

• Oral: Accessible and convenient; ensure 15 minutes post food/drink for accuracy.
  • Contraindications: Young children, unconscious patients, mouth-breathing.
• Rectal: Most accurate; requires lateral positioning and lubricant.
  • Contraindications: Diarrhea, recent rectal surgery, myocardial infarction.
• Axillary: Non-invasive; hold thermometer for 9 minutes for proper reading.
  • Contraindications: Skin disease, recent axillary surgery.
• Tympanic: Requires client consent and patient stability.

Lumbar Puncture Guidelines

• Technique: Insert spinal needle between lumbar vertebrae with specific gauge for age.
• Post-Procedure: Patient must remain flat for 8 hours to prevent headaches.
• Queckenstedt’s Test: Assesses CSF pressure reaction during lumbar puncture to check for blockages.

Nursing Procedures

• Steam Inhalation: Requires physician’s order; maintain safe distance from client.
• Suctioning: Assess lung function, ensure sterile technique, and limit suction time to 15 seconds.

Medication Administration Methods

• Oral Administration: Convenient with various forms (solid, liquid) but poses risks if swallowing difficulties exist.
  • Notable Forms: Tablets, suspensions, elixirs; avoid crushing enteric-coated or sustained-release tablets.
• Sublingual Administration: Rapid bloodstream absorption; must dissolve under the tongue without swallowing.

This quiz explores the concepts of disease exacerbations, including the differences between acute, sub-acute, organic, and functional diseases. Test your knowledge on how these classifications impact the understanding of various health conditions.