A Case Study of a Patient Suffering with a Long Term Health Problem Essays

Words: 4898
Pages: 20
Open Document
A Case study of A Patient Suffering With A Long Term Health Problem

The care and management of patients suffering with a long term condition is an integral part of the nurse’s role. With approximately 15 million people in the UK suffering from at least one chronic illness (DoH, 2012), it becomes apparent why the Department of Health (DoH) and the National Health Service (NHS) have had to put in to place advice and guidelines in order that the appropriate measures are taken to ensure that these patients are cared for in the most productive way. This essay is going to discuss the issues that are associated with long term conditions and chronic illness. The focus of this discussion is going to be a case study on a patient who is currently …show more content…
When the cells contained in the substantia nigra die, the dopamine levels subside therefore leaving any messages that are usually relayed to other motor centres using dopamine unable to get through. This action is the primary cause of the motor symptoms related to Parkinson’s (Dawson et al, 2005). There are two pathological hallmarks that are found in Parkinson’s disease. These are the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra and the presence of Lewy bodies (Swinn, 2005). The Lewy bodies are specific to Parkinson’s disease when they are distributed however they can also be found in other neurological diseases such as motor neuron disease and supranuclear palsy (Gibb and Lees, 1988). Although the exact purpose of the Lewy body is yet unknown it has been suggested that perhaps it may assist with the elimination of the damaged proteins from cells (Swinn, 2005).
For Mrs P, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease have greatly affected her ability to mobilise safely resulting in a number of falls occurring in her own home. Postural instability is deemed a cardinal feature of Parkinson’s disease and causes unsteadiness when walking and standing (Roberts and Overstall, 2008). The ability to mobilise is something that for most people is a natural daily occurrence. Horak and King (2009) describe mobility as ‘the ability of a person to move safely in a variety of
Show More

Related Documents: A Case Study of a Patient Suffering with a Long Term Health Problem Essays

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

hereditary while one-third of cases are due to a new mutation. It is one of nine types of muscular dystrophy. DMD is triggered by the absence of dystrophin, a protein which helps maintain muscle cells intact. This disease primarily affects boys with symptoms appearing between ages 3-5, but in rare cases, it can mildly affect…

Words 832 - Pages 4

Coronary Artery Disease Research Paper

cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest and heart attack would happen which risk the lives of patients. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become the most widely used method to treat patients with coronary artery disease[1]. Adverse events, such as restenosis and rare cases of stent thrombosis sometime develop after the procedure. Coronary drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is increasingly used for the patients with coronary artery disease because its reduction of neointimal hyperplasia, decreased…

Words 279 - Pages 2

Essay on Anorexy: Anorexia Nervosa and Oral Health

twentieth century the number of people suffering from eating disorders has greatly increased. The most common among these is anorexia nervosa which is a psychological eating disorder. This disorder is noticed in people of all age groups, all races and it affects both the sexes. Though this disorder is found in all races but its incidence amongst the whites is higher as compared to other races. It is more commonly seen in girls but about ten percent of the cases are boys. It is also seen in all age…

Words 3341 - Pages 14

Its Use As A Prescription, And The Effectiveness Of Psychoactive Drugs

placebos without their patients knowledge, who believe they are receiving a drug that has the purpose of helping what is wrong with them, when in fact they could be taking a vitamin that hasn’t been proven to help their condition or nothing but a sugar pill. Firstly, lets define placebo, as this must be known to understand the issue. A placebo is simply the means that create the placebo effect, which is defined by the National Institutes of Health as, “a beneficial health outcome resulting from…

Words 903 - Pages 4

Long Term Conditions Essay examples

Long-term Conditions Word Count: 2,200 This essay explores and reflects on the lived experiences of an elderly patient living with the long-term condition (LTC) of psoriasis. A case study is used to illustrate some of the key features of LTCs and the impact they can have on a patient’s physical, psychological and social state. It is also going to be looking at the effect some of the key features can have on a patients support network or family. In addition it will examine the nurses role…

Words 3973 - Pages 16

Hcs 245 Week 1

called the DSM-IV-TR (the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association) to aide them in making the right diagnosis. This can be difficult for two reasons; 1) patients can display different symptoms for the same disorder, 2) patients suffering from different disorders can have the same symptoms (NIMH, 2014). Schizophrenia can be one of those disorders that are hard to diagnose, each stage of the disorder can be compared to a different disorder as…

Words 1262 - Pages 6

Concussion Issues In Concussions

More now than ever athletes are being watched out for when there is trauma to the brain. After multiple cases of poor treatment to concussions parents and doctors are cracking down on letting concussions not be a big deal. As more studies advance, it is discovered that every case is different. The range is created by severity, past experience with trauma, and how the patient heals. Concussions in sports can range in severity, and how they affect each individual over time depending on times of impact…

Words 970 - Pages 4

Low Back Pain Case Study

created by injury, disease or stress. It may include the pain in bone, nerve and muscle. The quality of pain may be aching, burning, stabbing, or tingling, sharp or dull and well defined or vague (Akuthota, Baker, & Danisa, 2009). It is a most common problem all over the world and the age group 40 to 80 years (D. G. Hoy et al., 2012). A lot of research showed that the major reason for chronic low back pain is sedentary stressful and modern hurry and worry lifestyle. It is a serious effect on the psycho-social…

Words 2860 - Pages 12

Decline Of Mental Abilities In Old Age And Alzheimer's Disease

strong as they were in the earlier years of your life. It happens to everyone and is absolutely inevitable, but some people’s abilities deteriorate much more quickly than most due to diseases. One of those diseases being Alzheimer’s disease. In a study, done by Valgeir Thorvaldsson of the Gothenburg University in Sweden, published by the American Academy of Neurology, Thorvaldsson’s work showed that perceptual speed, which is the speed people can analyze figures, begins deteriorating almost fifteen years…

Words 1165 - Pages 5

PLAN Biological treatments for schizoph Essay

disorder such as reduced emotional expression. Although atypical drugs are perceived as having fewer side-effects, it is not always known specifically how they affect the brain to alleviate symptoms. A02 Davis et al performed a meta-analysis of over 100 studies that compared antipsychotics with placebos finding drugs to be more effective, with over 70% of sufferers treated with antipsychotics improving in condition after 6 weeks while fewer than 25% percent improved with placebos, suggesting antipsychotics…

Words 1379 - Pages 6