System Disorder Analysis
Tuberculosis Airborne Precautions
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs’ tissues. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent. Although it is most commonly found in the lungs, it can affect any organ in the body. Tuberculosis is divided into two stages: latent TB infection and active TB disease. A latent tuberculosis infection occurs when a person has the infection but is not experiencing symptoms. Our body’s defense system is usually capable of fighting off the TB bacteria, preventing it from processing in the body. It is essentially a dormant form of tuberculosis.
When the immune system fails and is unable to stop the bacteria from growing, the TB bacteria become active, and the condition is known as tuberculosis (TB). When this happens, the person develops symptoms and is able to spread the disease to others. Individuals with immunocompromised immune systems (HIV/AIDS, cancer, malnutrition) are at risk of developing tuberculosis. Prolonged productive cough, chest pain, anorexia, fatigue, low-grade fever, and night sweats are some of the symptoms experienced by people with tuberculosis.
It is critical to provide adequate care to patients seeking treatment for tuberculosis. The most important thing that can be done to protect the patient and those around them is to place the patient on airborne precautions. This necessitates placing the patient in a private room with special air and ventilation. The room should have negative pressure and at least six to twelve air exchanges per hour. The air in these rooms is typically exhausted directly to the outside or circulated through HEPA filtration.
Healthcare workers who are caring for these isolated patients should be well-equipped as well. Personnel is issued N95 respirators, which they must use when caring for isolated patients. Visitors’ families should also be educated on the importance of wearing proper protective equipment (PPE) while in the room. Patients in isolation should wear masks when being transported around the facility for testing. This is critical for the safety of all hospital personnel, patients, and visitors.
References
Knechel, N. A. (2009, April 01). Tuberculosis: Pathophysiology, Clinical Features, and Diagnosis. Retrieved from http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/content/29/2/34.full
Treatment for TB Disease | Treatment | TB | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/treatment/tbdisease.htm
Infection Control. (2017, February 28). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/basics/transmission-based-precautions.html
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Question
Disorder Analysis: Purpose and Guidelines
Subject: A case study of a Psychiatric Mental Health client in an acute care psychiatric hospital with a Major Psychiatric Disorder.
Sources of information: direct interview of client, personal observation, medical record of the client.
Purpose: to inform the reader of a comprehensive case study pertaining to a particular psychiatric diagnosis and the basis for the nursing care plan.