NRSG MISC-Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of an Immune Response, Case Study Homework 1(Latest 2020/2021)

Case Study Homework 1 Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of an Immune Response ANSWERS to Part 1 – The Investigative Process 1.)The pain that Jamie describes in her hands, making it difficult for her to pipette, would lead the physician to suspect a systemic disease. The hands of the body, which consist of various tissue types, including blood vessels, nerves, skin and skin-related tissues, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments, may show signs that reflect a disease that affects other parts of, or even the whole body (systemic diseases). Add this to Jamie’s description of her knees and elbows aching as well, is enough for the doctor to suspect a systemic illness. The chronic fatigue/lack of stamina/feeling run down that Jamie has been experiencing may lead the physician to suspect a systemic disease. Along with the information Jamie provided about her family history, that her maternal grandmother suffered from rheumatism, also would lead the physician to suspect this. The frequent cold sores, which Jamie has been treating with over-the-counter medication, are a symptom of Lupus, which is systemic. Also, the doctor finds a rash on Jamie’s upper back where she is typically exposed to the sun. Skin signs of systemic diseases occur frequently, and sometimes feature the first symptoms of a systemic disease. Jaimie’s blood pressure is also slightly elevated, and hypertension/high blood pressure can be an indicator of something systemic. 2.) Autoimmune Disease = A condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body. Autoantibody = An antibody produced by the immune system that is directed against one or more of the individual's own tissues and proteins. Many autoimmune diseases are caused by these autoantibodies. 3.) Environmental triggers associated with Autoimmune Diseases: Climate, stress, occupation, chemicals, genetics, cigarette smoking, and diet. Growing evidence suggests that particularly a typical ‘Western diet’, rich in saturated fat and salt and related pathologies can have a profound impact on local and systemic immune responses. Shifts and reduction in gut microbiota are tightly connected to the immune system, immune regulatory processes, and autoimmune diseases. Many autoimmune diseases involve environmental factors that act on top of genetic susceptibility. 4.) Some Autoimmune Diseases include: Systemic Lupus Erythematous, SLE, Sjögren’s syndrome, Raynaud’s Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis, Grave’s Disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Psoriatic Arthritis, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, and Scleroderma. 5.) Some typical signs and symptoms of Autoimmune Disease (using Lupus as an example) are: achy joints (arthralgia), unexplained fever (more than 100 F), swollen painful joints (arthritis), prolonged or extreme fatigue, skin rash, ankle swelling and fluid accumulation, pain in the chest when breathing deeply (pleurisy), a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose, hair loss, sensitivity to the sun and/or other light, seizures, mouth or nose sores, and pale/purple finger or toes from cold or stress (Raynaud’s Syndrome).