Respiratory Alterations Assignment

Scenario 1:
Ms. Teel brings in her 7-month-old infant for evaluation. She is afraid that the baby might have respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) because she seems to be coughing a lot, and Ms. Teel heard that RSV is a common condition for infants. A detailed patient history reveals that the infant has been coughing consistently for several months. It’s never seemed all that bad. Ms. Teel thought it was just a normal thing, but then she read about RSV. Closer evaluation indicates that the infant coughs mostly at night; and, in fact, most nights the baby coughs to some extent. Additionally, Ms. Teel confirms that the infant seems to cough more when she cries. Physical examination reveals an apparently healthy age- and weight-appropriate, 7-month-old infant with breath sounds that are clear to auscultation. The infant’s medical history is significant only for eczema that was actually quite bad a few months back. Otherwise, the only remarkable history is an allergic reaction to amoxicillin that she experienced 3 months ago when she had an ear infection.
Review the three scenarios, as well as Chapter 26 and Chapter 27 in the Huether and McCance text.
Select one of the scenarios and consider the respiratory disorder and underlying alteration associated with the type of cough described.
Identify the pathophysiology of the alteration that you associated with the cough.
Select two of the following factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior. Reflect on how the factors you selected might impact the disorder.
By Day 3
Post a description of the disorder and underlying respiratory alteration associated with the type of cough in your selected scenario. Then, explain the pathophysiology of the respiratory alteration. Finally, explain how the factors you selected might impact the disorder.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Respiratory Alterations

Scenario 1

The respiratory disorder in this scenario is Asthma. The clinical presentation of a patient with the condition includes a chronic cough, chest tightness, and dyspnoea. The underlying pathology is limitation to airflow, chronic airway inflammation, and hyper responsiveness (Huether & McCance, 2012). Atopy is a major risk factor for asthma. The infant, in this case, has a medical history of eczema and allergy to amoxicillin hence more prone to the disease.

Pathophysiology The underlying pathophysiology of asthma is a genetically determined propensity to produce IgE antibody. An encounter of a sensitized atopic patient to an allergen results in a two-phase response with release of inflammatory mediators that cause changes in the airway that culminate into bronchoconstriction. These airway changes…