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Essay / Exploring Pathophysiology and Adaptive Responses in Three Medical Scenarios
Table of ContentsScenario 1PathophysiologyAssociated Alterations and Adaptive ResponseScenario 2PathophysiologyAssociated Alterations and Adaptive ResponseScenario 3PathophysiologyAssociated Alterations and Adaptive ResponseConclusionReference: The human body acts in many ways like Newton's Third Law which is for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the body undergoes changes, the body activates the compensatory mechanism. This is called the adaptive response. Adaptive responses are changes in brain activity designed to maintain homeostasis and performance when possible (Fornito, Zalesky, & Bullmore, 2016). This article will consider 3 distinct medical scenarios to explain the pathophysiology, associated alterations and adaptive responses of patients to alterations caused by pathological processes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Scenario 1 In this scenario, Jennifer, a 2-year-old girl, is taken to a medical facility because she has a temperature for the last 3 days and her condition is not improving even though the mother gave him ibuprofen. His body is hot and dry. Physical examination showed that the throat was erythematous with more than 4 tonsils and diffuse exudates. The anterior cervical lymph nodes are easily palpable and clearly tender to touch on the left side. She also had a temperature of 102.8°F, a pulse of 128 beats per minute and a respiratory rate of 24 beats per minute. PathophysiologyJennifer complained of throat pain and swollen tonsils. She wasn't coughing, which is one of the reliable symptoms of a sore throat. However, she presented with an erythematous throat with more than 4 tonsils and diffuse exudates. Based on Jennifer's symptoms, the diagnosis is likely tonsillitis. According to Huether & McCance (2016), tonsillitis can be complicated by the formation of a tonsillar abscess. Acute tonsillitis can be defined as inflammation of the tonsils, mainly due to infection. It is part of the spectrum of pharyngitis which extends from localized infection of the tonsils to generalized infection of the pharynx. (Bartlett, Bola, & Williams, 2015) Associated Alterations and Adaptive Response Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils that affects millions of people each year. The impaired response of tonsillitis at the level of the immune system is associated with inflammation of the tonsils in response to invasion of the mucous membrane by viruses or bacteria. Due to this alteration, symptoms such as fever, sore throat, pain associated with swallowing, exudate, increased respiratory and heart rate and erythematous.Scenario Jack, 227 years old, presented to the medical facility with symptoms of redness and irritation of the hands. He mentioned that he noticed the skin was red and flaky about 2 weeks ago. He doesn't feel any discomfort but doesn't know why they are so red. Jack has no allergies and doesn't recall being exposed to any irritants, although he often works with solvents and abrasive chemicals. He hasn't used gloves lately due to a shortage. He always washes his hands when he is finished handling chemicals. Pathophysiology Irritant contact dermatitis is a non-specific inflammatory dermatitis caused by activation of the innate immune system by the pro-inflammatory properties of chemicals (Huether & McCance 2016). The severity of the inflammation is directly linked to the duration ofexposure and potency of the chemical. Associated alterations and adaptive response According to Brasch, Becker, Aberer et al., (2014), the dermatitis reaction is an inflammatory intolerance response characterized by successive reactions and coexisting erythema, blisters, exudation, papules and desquamation. This response pattern is primarily caused by toxins that have an external, non-infectious, immunological, chemical, or physical effect (Brasch, Becker, Aberer et al., 2014). Jack mentioned that he doesn't have any allergies, but has been regularly handling abrasive solvents and chemicals without gloves lately. Red, itchy skin is the body's response when the immune system reacts abnormally to dangerous foreign chemicals. Scenario 3 Martha, a 65-year-old retired woman, has a medical history of hypertension. She managed to control it over time with medication. She began having trouble sleeping, losing her appetite and feeling like her heart was racing. The only change in her lifestyle is that her aging mother has moved in with her. Her mother lost a lot of mobility and needed daily assistance with basic life activities after falling down a flight of stairs. Martha doesn't mind taking care of her mother since she is the only child, but she was hoping for a much different and better retirement. She feels blessed as she sleeps and eats less given the conditions. However, she is worried about her health and wants to know why she is sleeping and eating less at her age. Pathophysiology Clearly, in this scenario, Martha was a healthy woman with high hopes for a wonderful retirement. The sudden onset of lack of sleep and appetite and occasional heartbeat that only started after his mother lost her mobility and had to provide him with 24-hour assistance, not giving him time to realize the vision of a beautiful retired life, are the classic conditions. associated with acute stress. According to Tsigos, Kyrou, Kassi et al. (2016), stress is a threatened state of homeostasis caused by intrinsic or extrinsic adverse forces (stressors) and is counteracted by a complex repertoire of physiological and behavioral responses aimed at maintaining/restoring optimal bodily balance (eustasis ). Associated Alterations and Adaptive Response The adaptive response to stress depends on a highly interconnected neuroendocrine, cellular, and molecular infrastructure and stress system; however, each individual's adaptive response to stress is determined by a multiplicity of genetic, environmental, and developmental factors (Tsigos, Kyrou, Kassi et al., 2016). Martha, a 65-year-old woman, is going through lifestyle changes that are causing her a lot of stress in her daily life. Being the only child, the primary caregiver for her elderly mother, and no other support, Martha demonstrated maladaptive coping, which led to health problems in her life, including sleep disturbances, loss appetite and increased heart rate, which has had a negative impact on his daily life.Keep in mind: this is just a sample.Get a personalized article from our expert editors now.Get a Trial personalizedConclusionWhen patients present their symptoms to a health care provider or nurse practitioner (NP), an NP must take the time to listen, assess, diagnose, and treat the patient. Similar to the scenarios above, an NP must be able to use the information provided as well as information obtained from additional testing to develop a plan of care, while being mindful of278995/