Question

A senior care home that has 122 residents is experiencing a recent infectious illness within the complex. Several of the residents have been experiencing the following symptoms over the past 3 to 5 days: fever, chills, diaphoresis, muscle aches and pains, cough, and loss of appetite. The public health unit suspects influenza A and recommend only those health care workers who have received the influenza vaccine to continue to do shifts with the residents. a. Debbie, age 24, works as a personal care attendant and has had her "flu shot." Naturally, Debbie is worried about contracting the illness. As the RN, explain to Debbie how her immune system is at work in terms that she can understand b. Analyze the need for the nurse to consider the older adult population that is affected in this situation.

Answer 1

a) Influenza A

Influenza is an acute contagious disease of the upper airway and the lungs, caused by a virus ( Inflenza A zvirus), which rapidly spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics.

Flu shot

Flu shot is a Vaccination against Influenza infection. Vaccines are the substance given to stimulate the body's production of antibodies and provide immunity against a disease without causing the disease itself in the treatment. Vaccines are prepared from the agent that causes the disease or a synthetic sustitute.

Flu shot vaccination have minor side effects like tenderness at the site, mild fever, body ache or headaches. These are the signs of body's immune response to the Vaccination. Immunity is the resistance offered by the body of the host (immune system) to protect the organism from foreign bodies or microorganisms( antigen). Body is considering the Vaccination as the entry of antigen and starts immune response by producing the antibodies as well as the protective mechanism like fever. Fever is a protective mechanism of our body and is a sign of fight with illness or antigens. Fever as a result of vaccination last only upto 12hours and is mild. Along with fever tenderness , headaches and all common. Antibodies that produced by the body as a result of vaccination will offer a long lasting or short term protection from the the disease.

b) It is important for a nurse to consider and analyze the older adults as the elderly with any other chronic diseases are more prone to Influenza infection. The symptoms of flu are fever, aches, fatigue, running nose, nausea, vomiting , cough and sore throat.

If left untreated flu may leads to complications in lungs such as Pneumonia, asthma also dehydration of patient also may happen.

Management

* Provide proper rest and sleep

* Provide plenty of fluids

* Administer medications( Antiviral: Penamivir, Zanamivir) as per Doctor's order.