...Erica N. Huckaby Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V February 28, 2016 Epidemiology of Chickenpox Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health related states or events in specified populations and the application of this study to control health problems (Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary, 2012). Epidemiology can be applied to any disease. It has helped to develop the methodology used in research and public health. For the purpose of this paper, we will explore the childhood illness chickenpox, the factors that contribute to it’s development, the epidemiological triangle, and the role of the community health nurse as related to reporting and follow-up of cases. Description of Chickenpox Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious viral illness caused by the herpes virus, HHV3.4 or varicella zoster virus (Lowth, 2013). Chickenpox is mainly considered a childhood illness but can affect anyone at any age. Symptoms In children the illness generally begins with fever and malaise followed by development of papules on the skin. The day following the first fever a rash often appears on the face and scalp. Within the next 24 hours more papules appear as the first ones turn into vesicles. The rash generally will spread to the trunk, abdomen and limbs. Vesicles can be so few that they go unnoticed and leave the virus undiagnosed or they can cover the entire body including the mucous membranes. The course of the disease is generally seven...
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...July 5, 2015 Chickenpox is an infection caused by the highly contagious varicella-zoster virus. A common communicable disease which can be a harmless or deadly disease depending on the community which is affected. Education and healthcare prevention will prove evident in the control of the spread of the chickenpox disease. Chickenpox is an airborne disease which is spread by coughing and sneezing of an infected person or direct contact with skin lesions. The initial symptoms of chickenpox are a fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache and a sore throat. A red skin rash appears a few days after the initial symptoms and forms small, itchy blisters. “After a chickenpox red spot appears, it usually takes about 1 or 2 days for the spot to go through all its stages, this includes blistering, bursting, drying and crusting over. New red spots will appear every day for up to 5 to 7 days” (Chickenpox (Varicella)-Topic Overview, n.d.). The rash initially appears on the face, back and chest to quickly cover the body including mucous membranes such as the mouth, genital area or in the ears. These symptoms will begin ten to twenty-one days after exposure to a contagious person. The virus can be spread by a person who is infected with chickenpox before symptoms even appear and until all blisters have crusted over. Chickenpox is a common childhood disease, “more than 90% of cases occur in children younger than 10 years old” (Chickenpox: Background, Pathophysiology...
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...Genital Herpes Virus In this world today there are many viruses that effects the human population. Herpes is one of these diseases. It is no less then a self-limited communicable disease. Yet its "victims" describe it as devastating, and society treats those with it like lepers. Until recently most people had never heard of herpes virus. Even doctors were familiar with the virus, yet in the past few years , it has become an epidemic. Why I chose to study this topic is more on how herpes affects a person emotionally. Why should a disease like this which rarely causes great physical problems, be such trouble to many people? It is not as devastating as tuberculosis. Its not a killer like cancer. And it is not as disabling as the flu. It isn't as bad a smoking is to your health, so why should so many people care about it. I think that the main reason is that herpes affects the persons personality. To many, there is nothing more important then that persons genitals. One's genitals gives one the ability to love and to be loved. Another reason is that this virus, unlike many in today's society, is incurable. With todays fast food restaurants, great health insurance, and one hour prescriptions, people have a hard time dealing with herpes being incurable. The incurability and recurrent nature of herpes makes it a control issue and no one likes to lose control. There is an unbuilding factor in this issue. There...
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...Benchmark Assignment: Epidemiology Chickenpox Class: NRS-427V Concepts in Community and Public Health May 11, 2015 (O500) Name: Gulshan Kaur Date: May 25, 2015 What is epidemiology? Epidemiology is the study of a disease that is in a large population. There are many diseases that exist today and existed in the past that health professionals have interfered with and had these diseases come to a halt. Epidemiology isn't fully about the study of the disease itself, but it mostly comes in relation with the processes of the disease. Also not only is it about processes but it also about the cure and the curing of patients of the disease. People that inherent the epidemiological approach, they study the frequency of occurrence of the disease in the population. The epidemiologist has a belief that studying the interactions of the disease it will be possible to change and manipulate some of the determinants involved and reduce the amount of times the disease occurs in the population. One the diseases that provide epidemiologists the opportunity to study the disease and provide intervention is chicken pox. Also known as varicella, chicken pox is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus. The disease leaves patients with a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which scab over. This disease usually starts at the face and then quickly develops to the chest and back and then spreads to the rest of...
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...Microbiology Case Studies 1.1-1.8 Case 1.1 1. The fertility specialist recommended the rubella vaccine because if the rubella virus is contracted early in pregnancy there is an increased risk of miscarriage or birth defects such as deafness, cataracts, mental retardation, heart defects, liver and spleen damage. There are contraindications related to conceiving within four weeks of receiving the rubella vaccination because it is a “live” vaccine and could still cause complications. 2. In the United States it is recommended that children receive the first dose of the MMR (measles, mumps rubella) vaccination between 12-15 months (not earlier) and then to receive a second dose around 4-6 years of age. 3. The client’s description does not correlate with the rubella virus. Symptoms of the rubella infection typically only last 3 days and are often referred to as the “3 day measles”. 4. In order to check the immune status of the client the test would be checking for IgG antibodies. The absence of IgG rubella antibodies indicates that the person has likely not been exposed to the rubella virus or vaccine. IgG are also the only antibodies that can cross the placenta to protect the fetus. 5. To test for a current rubella infection using only the IgG antibody test the physician should order the initial IgG for a baseline and then perform the test again in 2-3 weeks to check if there was a significant increase (titer) present. An increase would indicate recent or current infection. Case 1.2 1...
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...HERPES ZOSTER Herpes zoster (shingles) is a relatively common neurological disorder. Its estimated annual incidence is 3-4 per 1,000 of the general population. The incidence is significantly higher in older people and immunocompromised subjects (irrespective of their age). Herpes zoster is caused by the varicella zoster virus and, typically, develops many years after the patient had recovered from chickenpox. It is thought that at the time of infection with chickenpox the virus migrates from the skin to the sensory ganglia via the axons of peripheral nerves and remains dormant in the ganglia, usually for many years. Activation of the virus occurs when the subject’s cell immunity is reduced. The activated virus travels along the sensory nerve...
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...The Epidemiology of Chickenpox The Epidemiology of Chickenpox Epidemiology can be defined as the study of health patterns and causes within a given population. The nursing field that works with these populations to identify causes and preventative measures is known as public health nursing or community nursing. These nurses seek to identify specific data that help a targeted population deal with the incidence and prevalence of certain conditions (Mauer, Smith, F, 2013). Just like any other disease, chickenpox has its own unique epidemiology, which will be explained in further detail throughout this paper. The epidemiologic triangle is applied to chickenpox as well. With the triad, an agent brings the disease, in this case chickenpox, to a susceptible host. These two factors, the host and agent, are brought together in a environment, the third factor, that is able to support the transmission of chickenpox (CDC, 2012). The virus that causes chickenpox is known as the varicella-zoster virus. This virus also is the cause of shingles. While symptoms may be mild and cause a general discomfort in children, the effects are more severe outside of childhood. Symptoms include a generalized fatigue, fever and a rash that is accompanied by pruritus. The fever may be present for a few day and range in temperature from 100.7 to 102.2. The lesions that accompany this disease, and which are its trademark, can be found in varying developmental stages over the patient’s...
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...Community/Public Health Nursing NRS-427V August 8, 2015 Chicken Pox or Varicella is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus that causes a blister like itchy rash all over the body. The rash is the disclosing indication of chicken pox (Mayo Clinic 2015). While signs and symptoms of chicken pox will usually appear one to two days prior to the rash, the rash itself will last from five to ten days. The symptoms that appear before the rash are headache, fever, general malaise, cough and loss of appetite. There are three phases of rash once it appears; Phase 1 red or pink papules all over the body for several days; Phase 2 The papules turn into vesicles or fluid filled blisters for the period of one day, the vesicles then break and leak; Phase 3 the vesicles scab and become crusted over then take a few more days to heal. There is the possibility to have all three phases of the disease (papules, vesicles and scabs) appearing at one time, as the papules in the beginning, tend to appear for several days. If one is infected with chicken pox, the virus can be spread for 48 hours prior to breaking out in the papules. The patient will then stay contagious until all of the vesicles have scabbed over (Mayo Clinic 2015). The disease itself is mild for most people, but a vaccination is available and a very effective and safe way to prevent chicken pox and its complications. Varicella spreads very quickly between people that have never had the vaccination...
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...Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) causing an inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Often the eye in the affected side cannot be closed. The eye must be protected from drying up, or the cornea may be permanently damaged, resulting in impaired vision. In some cases denture wearers experience some discomfort. The common presentation of this condition is a rapid onset of partial or complete paralysis that often occurs overnight. In rare cases, it can occur on both sides resulting in total facial paralysis. Bell’s palsy is defined as a one-sided facial nerve paralysis of unknown cause. Several other conditions can also cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, myasthenia gravis, and Lyme disease; however, if no specific cause can be identified, the condition is known as Bell's palsy. It is thought that an inflammatory condition leads to swelling of the facial nerve. The nerve travels through the skull in a narrow bone canal beneath the ear. Nerve swelling and compression in the narrow bone canal are thought to lead to nerve inhibition or damage. Usually it gets better on its own with most people achieving normal or near-normal function. Corticosteroids have been found to improve outcomes, when used early, while anti-viral drugs have not.[3][4] Many show signs of improvement as early as 10 days after the onset, even without treatment. Bell's palsy is the most common acute...
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...the roles and responsibilities of the community health nurse. In the end the paper discusses the associations, organizations, and national agency that addresses the chicken pox and contributes to resolving or reducing the impact of chickenpox disease. Chickenpox It is studied that 95 % of Americans get chickenpox by adulthood. Chickenpox is highly contagious. According to CDC 4 million people are infected by chickenpox every year. About 120,624 people in the USA were infected in 1995; it decreased to a tremendous 46,016 cases in 1999 in USA [Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 1999] Earlier before the chickenpox vaccine was discovered,each year about 11,000 people needed hospitalization for chickenpox in the U.S, and about 100 to 150 people died each year of chickenpox. With the vaccine, cases of chickenpox have dropped by about 90%. Cause Chickenpox is a transmittable illness induced by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Babies, adults and individual with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to Chickenpox. Mode of transmission It disseminates easily from an infected individual who sneezes, coughs, or shares food or drinks and also if you come in contact with the fluid from a chickenpox blister. Symptoms The standard symptom of chickenpox is an itchy rash, red spots or blisters (pox) that turn into scabs (usually in...
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...Vaccinations protect from nasty diseases, but the antiimmunisation voice is getting louder. Introduction Whilst some, or all of us, hate getting needles jabbed in us, it is sometimes necessary so we don’t get sick, or worse, die. There are terrible diseases i.e. Rubella, Polio, Whooping Cough, out there which we try to avoid. Vaccinations may help prevent getting them. Though we get immunised, we still need to be careful in making a well informed decision on behalf of this we love and care about. It is still possible to contract the disease we were vaccinated against, as in the case of chicken pox, where a person can come down with a slight case of it. We will look at the pros and cons of the immunisation debate and understand the benefit of proper decision making when deciding to get immunised. Body It is thought that vaccinations can help stop, and even get rid of, nasty diseases. It is reported that “Polio, for example, was eliminated in the United States by 1979 after widespread vaccination efforts” - as quoted from historyofvaccines.org. But while some people vaccinate their children, others do not. (Research from the National Health Performance Authority has found 77,000 Australian children are not fully immunised. As reported by Amy Simmons for ABC News. April 2013) In numerous parts of the world, it is thought that people need vaccines to stop the spread of disease. While some countries aren’t plagued with deadly diseases, there are some countries that...
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...malignancies that are called 'opportunistic infections' because they take advantage of the opportunity offered by a weakened immune system. A partial list of the world's most common HIV-related opportunistic infections and diseases includes: Bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis, MAC, bacterial pneumonia and septicaemia (blood poisoning) Protozoal diseases such as toxoplasmosis, microsporidiosis, cryptosporidiosis, isopsoriasis and leishmaniasis Fungal diseases such as PCP, candidiasis, cryptococcosis and penicilliosis Viral diseases such as those caused by cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and herpes zoster virus HIV-associated malignancies such as Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Different conditions typically occur at different stages of HIV infection. In early HIV disease people can develop tuberculosis, malaria, bacterial pneumonia, herpes zoster, staphylococcal skin infections and septicaemia. These are diseases that people with normal immune systems can also get, but with HIV they occur at a much higher rate. It also takes longer for a person with HIV to recover than it takes for someone with a healthy immune system. When the immune system is very weak due to advanced HIV disease or AIDS, opportunistic infections such as PCP, toxoplasmosis and cryptococcosis develop. Some infections can spread to a number of different organs, which is known as 'disseminated' or 'systemic' disease. Many of the opportunistic infections that occur at this late...
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...broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories. Diseases usually affect people not only physically, but also emotionally, as contracting and living with many diseases can alter one's perspective on life, and their personality. Death due to disease is called death by natural causes. There are four main types of disease: pathogenic disease, deficiency disease, hereditary disease, and physiological disease. Diseases can also be classified as communicable and non-communicable disease. Terminology In many cases, the terms disease, disorder, morbidity and illness are used interchangeably.[2] In some situations, specific terms are considered preferable. [edit]Disease The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs normal function. Commonly, this term is used to refer specifically to infectious diseases, which are clinically evident diseases that result from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular organisms, and aberrant proteins known as prions. An infection that does not and will not produce clinically evident impairment of...
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...Integumentary Disorders Anatomy of the skin The skin consists of 3 layers: 1. Epidermis- non vascular outermost layer, continuously dividing cells 2. Dermis- takes the largest portion of the skin and provides strength and structure. It consists of glands (sebaceous, sweat), hair follicle, blood vessels, and nerve endings 3. Subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis)- the inner most layer. contains major vascular networks, fat, nerves, and lymphatics Function of the skin • Protection- protection of underlying structures from invasion by bacteria, noxious chemicals and foreign matter. • Sensory perception- transmits pain, touch, pressure, temperature, itching, etc • Fluid balance (excretion)- absorption of fluids and evaporation of excess. • Temperature regulation- produced heat released through skin by radiation, conduction, and convection 1|Page • Vitamin synthesis- skin exposed to ultra violet light can convert substances necessary for synthesizing vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). • Aesthetic- affects appearance Factors influencing skin integrity • Immoblity is the major factor leading to pressure sore development . • The pt who is confined to bed & unable to change position is at greatest risk . • Trauma most likely occur – over the prominent areas – weight bearing areas • • Prolonged pressure impairs blood flow to tissue & resulfs in ischemia & inferction The extent of pressure necessary to cause tisue damage...
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...Aloe Vera: History, Science, and Medicinal Uses Presented by www.HealingAloe.com Many people are looking to nature for answers to their present health challenges. Aloe has never been more popular as a natural and holistic approach to many of today‟s modern diseases. People across the world with Diabetes, Arthritis, Gout, Psoriasis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Ulcers, Inflammation, and other conditions are looking to Liquid Aloe Vera for help. Even more people believe “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, and numerous scientific studies on Aloe Vera are demonstrating its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, immune modulating and anti-tumor activities as well as antiviral, anti-bacterial, and antifungal properties. Aloe‟s medicinal properties can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the combined nutritional elements producing a more powerful effect than the individual components. This book will serve to educate and inform you as you decide to make Aloe part of your daily health program. CONTENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Historical Information Early Medicinal Uses Preparation for Use Nutritional Overview of Aloe Medicinal Benefits External Healing Internal Healing Maximize Your Benefits What‟s Next? References 2 2 3 5 7 8 8 11 11 12 www.HealingAloe.com 1 1. Historical Information Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) is a specific species of Aloe. There are over 400 species of Aloe Vera plants in the Lily Family. Aloe plants tend to grow...
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