NURS 6501 WeeK 2: Adaptive Response
Advanced practice nurses must be equipped with an in-depth understanding of pathophysiological disease processes across the lifespan. In this course, students focus on understanding the bio-physiological processes, the deviations from these processes, and an in-depth examination of the scientific concepts related to the biology of disease processes. Advanced practice nursing students learn how normal organ systems function and how organ systems are interrelated to help the body maintain homeostasis. Through knowledge of pathophysiological disease processes, students gain the information needed to develop appropriate treatment plans for patients across the life span. Students explore a variety of topics, such as immunity, inflammation, cancer genetics, and cardiovascular disease. They also examine a range of disease processes, including hematologic, renal, neurologic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive disorders. NURS 6501 WeeK 2: Adaptive Response
Adaptive Response
Understanding what body responses are normal and abnormal in the event of a pathogen invasion, injury or disease process is essential for advanced practices nurses to differentiate and treat patient symptoms. Adaptive responses are how the body defense mechanisms physically react to illness or injury References (Huether, & McCance, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pathophysiology, adaptive responses, and alterations of the disease processes and provide a mind map of a disease process explained.NURS 6501 WeeK 2: Adaptive Response
Tonsillitis
In the scenario of the child’s fever, four+ tonsils, diffuse exudates, and palpable tender lymph nodes are clinical presentations of tonsillitis (PubMed Health, n.d.). The symptoms also demonstration the actions of an inflammatory response secondary to the infectious or viral agent. This rapid immune response occurs in humoral and cellular systems and is designed to limit the damage, and begin the process of healing. Immune responses caused vasodilation and increased vascular permeability near sites of injured tissues, causing exudation, swelling, erythema, and warmth as a result of activation and interactions of the chemical can trigger cellular reactions in the blood and lymph system (Huether, & McCance, 2017).
Skin Reaction to a Chemical Irritant – Contact Dermatitis
The scenario with the man presenting with redness and irritation of his hands from probable exposure to chemical irritants, contact dermatitis is likely the cause of his symptoms. Manifestations of contact dermatitis include rashes with well-defined borders, with possible scaling and vesicles at contact site(s) (Huether, & McCance, 2017). Contact dermatitis is a type of delayed hypersensitivity reaction after multiple exposures to an allergen. In this kind of response, the first contact is considered primary, and the body manufactures reactive T cells in response to the exposure, without visible signs and symptoms. Then the contact dermatitis rash develops after the second or multiple exposures, causing the immune response to activate a type IV cell-mediated reaction. The adaptive response happens after repeated exposure and haptens, or environmental antigens become immunogenic after binding to carrier proteins, such as the skin (Huether, & McCance, 2017).
Stress Response – Elevated Cortisol Levels
The symptoms Martha is experiencing, trouble sleeping, anorexia, palpitations can be related to elevated cortisol levels. The body responds to stress by secreting cortisol to enhance the immune response (Huether, & McCance, 2017). Acutely, cortisol inhibits initial inflammatory effects, promotes resolution and repair, by preparing the body for fight or flight. However, prolonged exposure to cortisol causes abnormal immune responses, such as depleting protein stores and can cause a variety of disease processes including lipid abnormalities, hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and eating disorders (Huether, & McCance, 2017).NURS 6501 WeeK 2: Adaptive Response
In Summary
Clinical manifestations of disease processes can lead an advance practice nurse to begin to create the differential diagnosis of different pathologies of immune reactions their adaptive responses and associated alterations caused by a disease processes. Studying immune responses allows for the advanced practitioner to think, accurately diagnosis and treat individuals critically.
References
Huether, S. E., & McCance, K. L. (2017). Understanding pathophysiology (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Hammer, G. G., & McPhee, S. (2014). Pathophysiology of disease: An introduction to clinical medicine. (7th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.NURS 6501 WeeK 2: Adaptive Response