PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 1 Discussion
Complete your Week 1 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
Review the following case study and discuss the question that follows.
TL is a 62-year-old male who was in a car wreck and who has been hospitalized for compartment syndrome from a left leg crush injury. He has areas of necrosis (tissue ischemia) seen along his calf. Tissue necrosis is areas of dead cells. It is imperative that the necrosis does not increase.
1. Discuss the etiologies of cellular injury and death and what can be done for TL to maximize his care.
Discussion Prompt #2
Identify diseases with idiopathic, iatrogenic, and multifactorial causes, and discuss the importance of identifying risk factors for diseases. Explain how measurements of structural, physiologic, biochemical, and genetic parameters provide a basis for disease screening and identification of risk factors.
PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 2 Discussion
Complete your Week 2 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
Review the following case study and discuss the questions that follow.
EO is an 8-year-old girl with a history of asthma and allergy to bee stings. She has been brought to the clinic complaining of a throat infection. Her health care provider prescribes a course of penicillin to manage her current infection and cautions her parents to watch her closely for a reaction.
What type of reaction is the health care provider concerned about, and why?
Explain the role of IgE and mast cells in type I hypersensitivity reactions. Why might EO react adversely to the antibiotic with the first use?
What would you tell EO’s parents to look for when they are assessing for a reaction?
Discussion Prompt #2
Watch The Human Immune System: When It Turns Against the Body video series below. Given the complexities of treatment associated with HIV/AIDS, what elements do you think are important in an effective care plan for those with HIV/AIDS? Also, discuss the importance of balancing the risks and benefits of treatment options. What is the clinician’s role in assisting the family/patient with making treatment decisions? Lastly, identify and discuss one new thing that you learned about this disease.
The Human Immune System: When It Turns Against the Body Series
1. Autoimmune disease overview7:17
2. HIV/AIDS overview3:24
PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 3 Discussion
Complete your Week 3 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
How does an understanding of the mechanisms of the heart help you in treatment of your patient regardless of the illness? How does basic cardiac monitoring factor into caring for your patient? How do you care for patients with dysrhythmia? Share some of your best practices.
Discussion Prompt #2
Review the following case study and discuss the questions that follow.
CC is a previously healthy 27-year-old man admitted to the critical care unit after an accident in which he was hit by a car and dragged along the pavement for nearly 100 feet. He suffered a frontal contusion, fractured clavicle and ribs, and extensive abrasions on his arms, legs, side, back, and buttocks. On admission, he was tachycardic, hypotensive, unresponsive, and ventilating poorly. He was placed on a mechanical ventilator and given IV fluids for the treatment of his shock. CC responded well to fluids, with an increase in blood pressure and an improvement in urine output.
Based on his case history and responsiveness to fluid therapy, what type of shock was CC experiencing?
What other clinical findings would be helpful in confirming the type of shock? Why?
Because of his many open wounds and invasive lines, CC is at risk for sepsis and septic shock. What clinical findings would suggest that this complication has developed?
What is the link between sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)?
PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 4 Discussion
Complete your Week 4 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
In this week’s material on lung function, two diseases tend to emerge as clinically important: COPD and lung cancer. Please go onto the CDC website (www.CDC.gov) to look up facts and figures on one of these two diseases. What is its burden on society? How can you, working on the front lines of disease management, help to relieve the burden of the disease on society?
Discussion Prompt #2
Read the case study below. Answer and discuss the questions that follow.
ND is a 82-year-old female who lives in a skilled nursing facility. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, coronary artery disease, chronic bronchitis, and hypertension. She is wheelchair bound and tends to spend most of her days in bed. She smoked for 52 years but quit 14 years ago. She has lost 10 pounds in the last month and has had a productive cough for about 2 weeks that has copious amounts of white to yellow mucous. Over the last 3 days, she has refused to get out of bed and has been refusing to eat or drink. This morning she is confused, has a fever, and is coughing continuously. Her sputum now is rust-colored. Her lungs sounds are coarse rhonchi throughout with crackles and diminished lung sounds in her right middle lobe area. Her vital signs are BP 86/54, HR 98, RR 28, and temperature 102.4. She is being admitted to the hospital.
Pneumonia can be classified many different ways. Which classification of pneumonia best fits ND’s situation? Explain. What is the most probable cause of ND’s pneumonia? Which diagnostic tests would you expect to be done to diagnose ND’s pneumonia?
PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 5 Discussion
Complete your Week 5 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
ESRD (end-stage renal disease) is the last stop in pathology for the kidney, and it is not a place we want a patient to be. However, there are many ways to intervene before a patient gets to this stage. Please visit the National Kidney Foundation website (www.kidney.org) and pick one best practice you can share with your patients to promote kidney health. Please share that practice with the class, and why you chose it.
Discussion Prompt #2
Review the following case study and complete the questions that follow.
JH is a 12-year-old boy diagnosed several months ago with nephrosis following postinfectious glomerulonephritis secondary to an episode of pneumococcal pneumonia. He has been coming to the clinic to have his condition monitored and therapies adjusted as needed. At his latest clinic visit, a decrease in urine output, increasing lethargy, hyperventilation, and generalized edema are noted. Trace amounts of protein are detected in JH’s urine by dipstick. Blood is drawn for laboratory analysis, and the results are as follows:? pH = 7.36 ?PaCO2 = 33 mm Hg ?PaO2 = 100 mm Hg ?HCO3 – = 18 mEq/L ?Hct = 30% ?Na+ = 130 mEq/L ?K+ = 5.4 mEq/L ?BUN = 58 mg/dl ?creatinine = 3.9 mg/dl ?albumin = 2.0 g/dl
How would a pneumococcal infection lead to glomerulonephritis? How can glomerulonephritis result in nephrosis?
Use JH’s laboratory values to determine if he is still experiencing nephrosis or if his condition is progressing to renal failure.
What additional physical or laboratory findings would be helpful in determining JH’s degree of renal impairment?
How will JH’s therapy change if his condition has progressed from nephrosis to uremia?
PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 6 Discussion
Complete your Week 6 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
Presentation
Click to view the presentation.
Complete the diagnostic exercise above. After you have viewed each person, select one of the individuals, and based on his or her health assessment, develop a health plan to help them prevent the disease and improve their quality of life. Your plan should include health care recommendations, educational materials, support systems for making lifestyle changes, and tools and resources for managing and monitoring symptoms.
As part of your plan, include the following:
Provide a brief summary of the individual's health assessment, the physiologic signs and symptoms of the individual's highest disease risk, and the impact of that disease on his/her functional health status.
Provide a health plan for risk prevention addressing diet, exercise, health monitoring recommendations, pharmacological aids, diagnostic testing recommendations, and additional lifestyle changes. Clearly explain the interrelationships between pathophysiology, pharmacology, diagnostic testing, and management on the individual's health and the disease.
Identify and summarize at least one current pharmacological advancement or a key piece of substantiated research in the treatment or prevention of the disease. Cite your source(s).
Identify two or more websites to aid in the physical and mental well-being of the individual. Include the web links and a summary of the features and benefits of each site in a brief paragraph. Explain how specific components/features of the site can benefit your individual's health care.
Discussion Prompt #2
What are the components of a successful diabetes care team? Is this something that is practiced where you currently work? Of the best practices shared in the video clips below, which do you think is most important? How would you incorporate this into your practice?
Diabetes in Clinical Practice
1. Components of a diabetes team4:13
2. Overview of the diabetes team3:49
3. Screening test1:17
4. Assisting patients with self management1:35
5. Foot inspection0:49
6. Glycemic emergencies2:01
7. Hypertension0:35
8. Identifying undiagnosed patients2:33
9. Monitoring diagnosed patients3:40
10. Nutrition2:58
11. Patient education2:26
PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 7 Discussion
Complete your Week 7 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
Watch the Pain Management video series below. Have you used any of the treatments described on your patients? On yourself? Which of these have you found most effective in pain management? Please explain.
Pain Management and Patient Care: Physical and Cognitive Treatment
1. Pain Management and Patient Care: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches4:02
2. Pain Management and Patient Care: Cold Therapy1:54
3. Pain Management and Patient Care: Complimentary Pain Treatment1:42
4. Pain Management and Patient Care: Heat Therapy2:36
5. Pain Management and Patient Care: Immobilization0:41
6. Pain Management and Patient Care: Invasive and non-invasive therapy0:44
7. Pain Management and Patient Care: Massage Therapy0:59
8. Pain Management and Patient Care: Mobilization and Manipulation Therapies1:04
9. Pain Management and Patient Care: Non-invasive therapies0:25
10. Pain Management and Patient Care: Therapeutic Exercise1:06
11. Pain Management and Patient Care: Transcutaneous Eletrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)0:52
12. Pain Management and Patient Care: Vibration Therapy0:57
13. Pain Management and Patient Care: When and Where to Apply Hot and Cold Therapies1:19
Pain Management and Patient Care: Medication Treatment
1. Pain Management and Patient Care: Adjuvant Medications6:06
2. Pain Management and Patient Care: Chronic Malignant Pain4:26
3. Pain Management and Patient Care: Chronic Nonmalignant Pain2:43
4. P ain Management and Patient Care: Classification of Pain2:48
5. Pain Management and Patient Care: Non-opioid Analgesics2:23
6. Pain Management and Patient Care: Opioid Analgesics4:12
If you are using the Firefox browser and experiencing difficulty loading any of these videos, update your Flash player using this link https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-flash-plugin-view-videos-animations-games. You may also change your browser to Chrome to view.
Discussion Prompt #2
Read the following article discussing the connection between childhood trauma, crime, and health. Share your thoughts and opinions on the matter as evidenced in your personal and/or professional life. Have you seen or suspected these correlations? Do you think this is an isolated occurrence? What are your thoughts on the approach to resolution that the doctor and her team have taken? Can you think of other interventions that might be worth pursuing? Share any other articles on the subject that you may have encountered.
A Sheriff And A Doctor Team Up To Map Childhood Trauma
This story is part of the NPR series, What Shapes Health? The series explores social and environmental factors that affect health throughout life.
PATH370 Pathophysiology
Week 8 Discussion
Complete your Week 8 required discussion prompts.
Discussion Prompt #1
This week you spent some time in the interactive simulation as Dena Gray. You were asked to make some difficult decisions and you witnessed the results of those decisions. Take some time in this discussion forum to reflect on the experience with your classmates and instructor. How realistic were the situations and decisions compared to your professional experience? Did you feel the choices Dena was asked to face were choices that you have dealt with or expect to deal with in your career? Which decisions were most difficult for you to commit to? Which were easiest? Why? What impact, if any, will this exercise have on your own personal and professional decisions? Share any additional thoughts, questions, and learning insights here as well.
Discussion Prompt #2
Regardless of your title or actual position, you’re always a leader in some way, and your decisions and actions will have an effect on other nurses, patients, family members, and visitors. Consider this statement as you respond to at least 2 of the following:
In the positive outcome, how did Dena’s extra responsibilities reward her emotionally and professionally? What might she have sacrificed?
What kinds of decisions led to a positive outcome? What kinds of decisions led to a negative outcome?
How might previous reprimands affect Dena’s willingness to speak up? How much can leadership impact positive outcomes?
How did Dena need to change her approach with each of the different colleagues and situations? Have you made adjustments in your approach to achieve positive results at work?
How does the disposition of the physician affect a nurse’s ability to speak up? What would you do if the response was not as gracious as Dr. Green’s?
How much of your job involves customer service? Is that stressful?
What creative strategies do you use in dealing with difficult situations? Can you share an example?
