N213: Health Differences Across the Life Span 3

N213: Health Differences Across the Lifespan 3 Study Guide • Teach patient to pace activities and take frequent rest periods • Monitor organ functions: kidneys, cardiac, and lungs • Teach pain control techniques: warm baths and ice to joints (use caution inReynaud’s) • Patients with lupus that have Reynaud’s should use caution with cold; wear gloves, keep hands and toes warm, use oven mitts to reach into freezer; if a Reynaud’s attack occurs, take immediate measures to re-warm the tissue and increase circulation • With lupus, provide good skin care and care of lesions with topical creams • Provide good oral care to patients with lupus oral ulcers • Teach lupus patients to avoid direct sunlight • Provide and encourage appropriate nutrition to avoid weight loss/gain • Encourage patient to avoid high stress situations; stress can precipitate a flare-up • Teach patient to perform active range-of-motion and gentle stretching exercises to increase mobility of joints • Encourage patient to join a community support group Expected outcomes for rheumatoid arthritis: • Verbalizes understanding of disease, medications, and management of disease long term • Verbalizes increased comfort, pain relief, and decreased fatigue • Demonstrates adequate mobility • Patient remains free from injury due to Reynaud’s phenomenon • Demonstrates ability to perform self-care Juvenile Rheumatoid/Idiopathic Arthritis This type of arthritis is seen in children under the age of 18. The three manifestations are polyarticular, systemic, and pauciarticular. The disease is chronic and can affect any joint in the body. It is characterized by general body symptoms, fever, swelling, pain, inflammation, mouth ulcers, and some children may experience heart (pericarditis) and eye disease (iridocyclitis). Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can be caused by an allergic reaction, virus, or systemic autoimmune disease. Most often the body’s immune response is set off by stress, infection, or injury. Children who suffer from JRA may outgrow the condition by mid-teens with proper treatment, but those who do not go into remission may go on to develop adult rheumatoid arthritis. Signs and symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: • Joint pain • Swelling in one or more joints • Fever • Mouth ulcers • Elevated sedimentation rate • Eye redness/vision changes • Enlarged lymph nodes • Limping (first sign of the disease) ©2017 Achieve Test Prep Page 120 of 204

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