...Epidemiology: Hepatitis C in the Veteran Population NUR / 408 July 7, 2014 Deborah Nallo Introduction Hepatitis C (HCV) is highly prevalent within the Veteran population. HCV is a major public health concern because of the debilitating effects associated with the virus. HCV results in increased mortality and morbidity rates resulting from the acute and chronic effects of the virus. The most common transmission of HCV occurs through injection drug use, injuries resulting from needle sticks and the lack of infection control in healthcare facilities. The transmission of HCV can also occur through sexual contact between individuals who have the human immunodeficiency virus, and HCV virus, tattoos that were not professionally done and HCV infected mothers who have transmitted the virus to their newborn babies. The hepatitis C virus is the most common blood-borne virus in the United States. An estimated 3.2 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C. Most are unaware of their infection. Each year, about 17,000 Americans become infected with hepatitis C ("Centers for Disease Control and Prevention", n.d.). The veteran population has a higher rate of HCV exposure and infection when compared to the general population. Many of the individuals who are infected with the HCV virus are unaware of their infection and therefore they do not receive the necessary treatment. Individuals with HCV are at increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinomas and other...
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...Hepatitis B: A Global Health Crisis Gina Duron Grand Canyon University: NRS 427V November 15, 2015 Hepatitis B: A Global Health Crisis Approximately one-third of the world’s population have been infected with the hepatitis b virus (HBV) and 240 million people are infected with chronic hepatitis b infection worldwide. This communicable disease is a potentially life threatening liver infection. It has become a global health problem that affects all areas of the world. Many organizations, health care providers, and governments around the world are working together to address the health concerns that affect different parts of the world. By understanding the health determinants that affect hepatitis b and researching the epidemiologic triangle of hepatitis b, policies and plans can be developed to guide the community health nurse in her role in reducing the morbidity and mortality of this communicable disease. What is Hepatitis B? Hepatitis b is a viral infection that can manifest as acute or chronic. Approximately ninety percent of adults with a normal immune status can recover completely from a newly acquired hepatitis b infection. Infants, young children, immunocompromised persons infected with hepatitis b are more at risk for developing the chronic form of disease which can lead to life threatening liver disease and liver cancer. Symptoms of HBV include jaundice of skin and sclera, abdominal pain, fever, joint pain, weakness and nausea and vomiting. This communicable...
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...Communicable Disease Paper - Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is a communicable viral liver disease. A recent outbreak of Hepatitis A has recently occurred across five states. For this reason this paper will describe the disease, its treatment and prevention; the factors that contribute to its spread; how personal lifestyles, including that of socioeconomic status influence the disease and the control of the disease. If there are gaps and resources available to fill these gaps will be discussed along with alternatives and recommendations for prevention and/or reduction in the spread of Hepatitis A. Within this document the goal will be to include data supporting the findings and plans to ensure continuation of quality of health and quality of life. Description Hepatitis A is an extremely contagious viral disease that attacks the liver and can cause mild to severe illness. The infection will cause the liver to decline in its functional use. Hepatitis A is “most likely to (be) contract(ed) from contaminated food or water or from close contact with someone who’s already infected” (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Contaminated food and/or water usually has had contact with human fecal matter via ingestion or contact with a contaminated object or person. Many who have contacted Hepatitis A may not even realize they have contracted the disease. The symptoms range from mild to severe and can include any of the following: jaundice, fatigue, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and fever. These symptoms...
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...Hepatitis B Candace Tiley GCU RN-BSN Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V Colleen Darrow September 12, 2013 Hepatitis B TRANSMISSION: Hepatitis B is a communicable disease that affects the liver via the hepatitis virus (HBV). Hepatitis B is the most common liver infection in the world. The virus is transmitted via blood and infected bodily fluids. This can occur through activities that involve percutaneous punctures through the skin, or mucosal contact with infectious blood or body fluids. Examples of ways that an individual could contract Hepatitis B might include: Sex with an infected partner; Birth to an infected mother; Coming in contact with the blood or sores of someone infected with Hepatitis B; (exposure to infected blood via a blood transfusion) Needle sticks with a dirty or contaminated needle or sharp instrument; Sharing items with an infected person such as toothbrushes or razors; RISK FACTORS: -Transfusion of unscreened blood; -Sexual promiscuity; - Sharing of or re-using of syringes between injection drug users; -Tattooing; -Working or residing in a health-care facility; -Living in a correctional facility; -Renal dialysis -long-term household or intimate non-sexual contact with and HBs Ab-positive individual. HBV is not spread through food or water, sharing common objects such as kitchen utensils, via hugging or kissing, casual contact or by being exposed to someone with HBV who may cough or sneeze. This virus can...
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...Hepatitis B Candace Tiley GCU RN-BSN Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V Colleen Darrow September 12, 2013 Hepatitis B TRANSMISSION: Hepatitis B is a communicable disease that affects the liver via the hepatitis virus (HBV). Hepatitis B is the most common liver infection in the world. The virus is transmitted via blood and infected bodily fluids. This can occur through activities that involve percutaneous punctures through the skin, or mucosal contact with infectious blood or body fluids. Examples of ways that an individual could contract Hepatitis B might include: Sex with an infected partner; Birth to an infected mother; Coming in contact with the blood or sores of someone infected with Hepatitis B; (exposure to infected blood via a blood transfusion) Needle sticks with a dirty or contaminated needle or sharp instrument; Sharing items with an infected person such as toothbrushes or razors; RISK FACTORS: -Transfusion of unscreened blood; -Sexual promiscuity; - Sharing of or re-using of syringes between injection drug users; -Tattooing; -Working or residing in a health-care facility; -Living in a correctional facility; -Renal dialysis -long-term household or intimate non-sexual contact with and HBs Ab-positive individual. HBV is not spread through food or water, sharing common objects such as kitchen utensils, via hugging or kissing, casual contact or by being exposed to someone with HBV who may cough or sneeze. This virus can...
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...Hepatitis B Virus: Epidemiological and Social Implications Amy Berry Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V Sandra White August 21, 2015 Hepatitis B Virus: Epidemiological and Social Implications The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is an infection that attacks the liver and is categorized as both acute and chronic. The geographic prevalence between five and ten percent is predominantly in African and East Asian countries and only a one percent occurrence in the United States. The global incidence of HBV is approximately two billion people worldwide and of those, 350 million have chronic liver dysfunctionality resulting in an increased mortality risk related to cirrhosis and hepatic neoplasms ("The World Health Organization," 2015). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2013, acute cases of HBV totaled 3,050 and 31,763 chronic cases were reported in the United States and a it is estimated that a total of 140,000 patients are infected every year that are not reported or unknown, and of those, an upwards of 1,000 people will die of chronic liver disease resulting from HBV ("CDC," 2013). The introduction of the HBV vaccine in 1982 and the inoculation of infants has dramatically lowered the frequency of infection, however, certain subgroups such as hemodialysis patients, health care professionals, intravenous (IV) drug users, organ transplantation recipients and homosexual males are at higher risk and should be periodically tested...
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...Windshield Survey Summary and Reflection There are many definition that define the community. The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to the community as “ a group of people, often living in a defined geographical area, who may share a common culture, values and norms, and are arranged in a social structure according to relationships which the community has developed over a period of time” (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p.397). The healthy level of the community is called public health, and the responsibilities of public health include assessment, policy development, and assurance (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Goals for public health are to promoting healthy status of the community as well as maintaining the community in a balanced healthy environment. The nurses who are employed by either private agencies or government departments to promote community health are the public health nurse. The public health nurse is to serve the community as the client by using the population-centered practice to seek beneficial health changes for the whole community (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). While working in a community-oriented nursing practice, it is important to work with the community partnerships like professional groups or non-medical groups to help promoting community health. The community that the student conducted the windshield survey is in the city of San Gabriel, Southern California. The City of San Gabriel is home to a population of more than 42,000 with a diverse...
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...Epidemiology of Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is a disease that affects many people worldwide and can cause serious and potentially fatal complications. This paper will provide an overview of this disease, including demographic information, while discussing contributing determinants of health, the implications of the epidemiological triangle as it relates to the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), the role of the community health nurse, as well as identify a national organization that addresses the disease and how it contributes to reducing the impact on society. Overview Hepatitis B is an infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus that multiplies in the liver, causing inflammation that can involve other organs of the body such as the kidneys and vasculature. Symptoms are varied and highly dependent on the severity of the illness and organ involvement. Roughly two thirds of cases are asymptomatic (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). The Communicable Disease Chain identifies the infected individual as the host or reservoir, whose portal of exit includes cuts, needles and mucus membranes. The mode of transmission is through direct contact with the portal of entry, which is identified as blood or bodily fluids of the infected individual, into the susceptible host, thereby creating a new reservoir to further spread the disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). Once infected, the virus multiplies in the liver causing severe inflammation which may resolve naturally, in acute cases...
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...Health Promotion Among Asian Americans Robert Ramirez Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V Family-Centered Health Promotion February 22, 2015 Health Promotion Among Asian Americans The U.S. Public Health Service defines health promotion as “the process of advocating health in order to enhance the probability that personal, private, and public support of positive health practices will become a societal norm” (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014). Health is a basic human right; optimal health is a well-balanced structure of emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological, intellectual, and social well-being. The purpose of health promotion in nursing is to increase health knowledge that will in turn positively influence health behaviors of individuals and communities (Foster, 2012). Roughly 36% of the U.S. population is made up of various ethnic or racial minorities. Of that 36%, 4.8% were Asian Americans. According to the Office of Management and Budget, “Asians” consist of people that originate from the Far East, Southeast Asia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan Thailand, Vietnam, or the Philippine Islands (CDC, 2014). These 14.7 million people are dispersed throughout the country, with Hawaii having the largest concentration (57%) of the total Asian population (CDC, 2014). The CDC (2014) states that minority groups “experience a disproportionate burden of preventable disease, death, and disability compared with non-minorities.” This paper will concentrate...
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...In recent years, a wave of anti-vaccination beliefs has been sweeping the nation. However, vaccines “protect us from diseases that used to routinely kill hundreds of thousands of children in the United States and still kill hundreds of thousands globally” (University of Pennsylvania, 2012). Even with this knowledge, many parents have refused to vaccinate their children over fears of side effects, but this has created a significant health risk for the greater public and those more at risk, such as children too young for vaccines and the elderly. Much of the anti-vaccination sentiment is based on misinformation and uninformed positions. Vaccines have benefited humanity greatly and the only thing to outperform the benefits of vaccines to public health is clean water (Andre, Booy, Bock, Clemens, Datta & John et al., 2008). Vaccinations are an essential part of disease prevention as when children are not vaccinated, they can spread diseases to others and face serious health risks of their own from vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines rely on a herd, meaning that they are only very effective if nearly everyone receives them. This helps to eradicate the diseases from the bulk of the population, making it very unlikely that at-risk and unvaccinated individuals would be exposed to the diseases. As a result, the more unvaccinated people there are, the greater the risk of an outbreak. Therefore, “if a high number of children go intentionally unvaccinated because of personal belief...
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...diseases in the United States and around the whole world. He worked for the New York City’s program from 1992-1996, to control tuberculosis and reduced cases by 80 percent. From there, he resided in India for five years and assisted with national tuberculosis control efforts. It has treated well over 10 million patients and has saved more than one million lives. From 2002-2009, he was Commissioner of New York City Health Department which is one of the world’s largest public health agencies with a yearly budget of $1.7 billion and a staff of more than 6,000. By being a part of Tobacco Act, he has reduced the number of smokers by 350,000, cut teen smokers by 50%. The first place in the U.S. which was New York has shrunk trans-fats from restaurants, to gather calorie information to certain restaurants and screen the diabetes epidemic. The New York City Health Department has also created colon cancer screening rates increased. The department also has furnished the biggest community electronic health records in the United States because of his leadership skills. The electronic health records will expand their use nationally very soon. He has established the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, a demanding program which provides the implement of proven interventions that will save over 100 million lives. Dr. Frieden has worked for CDC form 1990 til 2002 as a physician infectious...
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...Health Promotion in Nursing Practice Mary Sprague, RN Grand Canyon University Family-Centered Health Promotion NRS-429V Heather Swanson April 13, 2014 Health Promotion in Nursing Practice Health promotion has become a key part of healthcare in today’s health industry. Promoting healthy lifestyles and behaviors and prevention of disease has shifted to a forefront position in the arena of healthcare. Health promotion is defined by the World Health Organization as “the process which enables people to improve control over the determinants of health and as a result to improve their own health.”(Jadelhack, 2012, p. 65) Promoting wellness and developing strategies to obtain this including confrontation of obstacles and barriers to wellness has become mainstream in nursing practice. Nurses now incorporate areas of education, practice, methodology, and research which has set them at the cutting edge in health promotion. Studies have shown that health promotion is highly cost-effective and as health costs rise, targeting diseases that are preventable such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, COPD, and communicable diseases such as Hepatitis and HIV can greatly diminish healthcare costs. Promoting prevention rather than just curing disease after it occurs will reduce healthcare costs exponentially. In the past, nurses provided patient education arranged at teaching patients how to manage current illness, the focus was on the present. In today’s nursing the focus is now...
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...Health & religion as social determinants of health: (Summary) In 1946 the WHO (world Health Organisation) introduced a new public health paradigm which concentrated on health as being holistic approach explaining the complete state off wellness is to be “Physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually” healthy. There have been many literature articulated by sociologist regarding the aspect off religion and spirituality influence or effect on health of individuals lives. Spirituality often described being more fluid, eclectic and individualised than religion in which religion is often highlighted as structural and formal and embedded in tradition and doctrine. However there are differing perspectives and one may be religious but not spiritual and vice versa. Case study: positive impact of religious & spiritual practices. One case study undertaken in one Sydney hospital revealed that approximately 80% of interviewees claimed rituals can help when they are sick due to support, strength, relaxation and guidance it offers the human being. Cases of societal tension based on religion, spirituality and health: Although there are many positive aspects accompanying religion/spirituality with health, there have been cases of societal tension. Such events include: • The avoidance of immunisation of children from parents with fundamental religion and philosophical background. Within contemporary society there have been great emphasis on minoring...
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...Family-Centered Health Promotion March 31, 2013 Health promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2005 as "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health.” Health Promotion is focused on bringing awareness to the public in order to prevent an increase in disease. Health promotion can also give the individual the tools and teaching needed to live a healthier life style, therefore optimizing their level of health and decrease the incidence of disease. Health promotion is essential in the community, in schools and in the workplace. It brings very important information to the public, and sometimes lifesaving .interventions to certain individual. There are also other benefits to health promotion such as reducing health care costs. Individuals who choose healthier alternatives lower their chances of disease, which in turn can lower their health care costs. This is also beneficial in the work place, where employers can lower costs of health insurance. The purpose of health promotion in nursing practice is to not only providing patient teaching on their particular disease process, but to also be that frontline educator on preventive health practices to remain healthy. It is also important that health promotion be given at the bedside. As Nurses we are not just a care giver to our patients, we also play the role of advocate. Advocacy is a key component in health promotion and as...
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...role of a homeless health peer advocate is to support a client’s experiencing homelessness to address their physical health issues through various services such as Find and Treat (Tuberculosis X-Ray Screening service), Hepatitis and Latent Tuberculosis, hospital visits, targeted advocacy and health promotion through in-reach coffee mornings at hostels and homeless day centers. Peer advocates supports clients to attend medical appointments and make choices about what next and give practical support in attending follow up appointments and hospital stays. To support clients to address their health needs advocates help find information about health and health services for clients to address their health needs. Advocacy is central in supporting clients and homeless health peers cannot give health advice or tell the client what is in their best interest nor give support in other areas that is not health related, e.g. attending benefit center appointments. A client's situation cannot be discussed with anyone without the consent from client. Advocates do not work with any clients whose behavior poses a risk to the peer advocate and never collect a client from private accommodation or enter their rooms at hostels. Arrangements will be made to collect clients in public areas. The uniqueness of peer advocacy is evident at health in reach sessions and coffee morning which provides regular presence to build a good report with residents through informal chats about health and wellbeing. When...
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