Gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatobiliary disorders affect the structure and function of the GI tract. Many of these disorders often have similar symptoms, such as abdominal pain, cramping, constipation, nausea, bloating, and fatigue. Since multiple disorders can be tied to the same symptoms, it is important for advanced practice nurses to carefully evaluate patients and prescribe a treatment that targets the cause rather than the symptom.
Once the underlying cause is identified, an appropriate drug therapy plan can be recommended based on medical history and individual patient factors. In this Assignment, you examine a case study of a patient who presents with symptoms of a possible GI/hepatobiliary disorder, and you design an appropriate drug therapy plan.
To Prepare
- Review the case study assigned by your Instructor for this Assignment
- Reflect on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and drugs currently prescribed.
- Think about a possible diagnosis for the patient. Consider whether the patient has a disorder related to the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary system or whether the symptoms are the result of a disorder from another system or other factors, such as pregnancy, drugs, or a psychological disorder.
- Consider an appropriate drug therapy plan based on the patient’s history, diagnosis, and drugs currently prescribed.
By Day 7 of Week 4
Write a 1-page paper that addresses the following:
- Explain your diagnosis for the patient, including your rationale for the diagnosis.
- Describe an appropriate drug therapy plan based on the patient’s history, diagnosis, and drugs currently prescribed.
- Justify why you would recommend this drug therapy plan for this patient. Be specific and provide examples.
Solution:
HL presents to the clinic with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. He has a history of drug abuse and possible Hepatitis C. The patient’s possible infection is gastrointestinal. He is on prednisone, a drug with synthetic corticosteroid and the probability of reducing the patient’s immune system and thus, predisposing him to the infection. As described by Hassing et al. (2016), gastrointestinal infection is the digestive tract inflammation, mainly the intestines and the stomach, and may be caused by viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection. Patients with gastrointestinal infection present bloating, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, and its treatment is dictated by the patient’s medical history, physical examination, lab (blood and stool) tests, and the cause (Canziani et al., 2018). HL has a medical history of drug abuse. Prednisone can be the cause of the patient’s clinical manifestations. The treatment for….Please click the icon below to purchase full answer at only $5