Question

1. Read the profiles of the patients provided and determine which patient is at greatest risk of infection. Explain why this patient's risk is highest and provide 3 nursing interventions aimed at reducing the patient's infection risk based upon their specific risk factors.

• Patient A: A 53-year-old woman who takes prednisone daily for lupus. She is admitted to the hospital for routine post-op care following a routine hysterectomy. Her surgery was laparoscopic.
• Patient B: A 78-year-old man who takes Lipitor for high cholesterol. He was admitted to the hospital 2 days ago with cellulitis and has been on intravenous antibiotics for 24 hours. His condition is improving.
• Patient C: A 44-year-old man who takes metformin for type II diabetes. He was hospitalized for an exestuation of asthma eight hours ago. He is being given high dose steroids and oxygen to help his breathing.

Answer 1

Patient C is at highest risk of infection because he is diabetic, and had exacerbation of asthma .He is on high dose of steroids.So both diabetes and high dose of steroids account for the immunocompromised state of the patient.

Reducing the patient's risk of infection:--

1)Keeping the blood sugar tight controlled within the normal limits by metformin and insulin

2) Better control of the asthma by using inhaled corticosteroids if required as maintenance therapy and short acting beta agonists as reliever therapy

3)In patient B, the cholesterol should be more tightly controlled