NURS 6501 – Advanced Pathophysiology week 1 Discussion: Alterations in Cellular Processes
Pathophysiology Week 1
Cells are the building blocks and provide structure for the body. Cells carry out many functions, such as taking in nutrients from food, converting the nutrients to energy, and carrying out specialized functions. Cells also contain the body’s DNA and can make copies of themselves. Cells can maintain homeostasis by adapting to physiologic demands or stress. NURS 6501 – Advanced Pathophysiology week 1 Discussion: Alterations in Cellular Processes However, alterations of cellular responses caused by diseases often result in changes in the normal response processes. In this discussion, we examine a case study of a 16-year-old boy who presented to the clinic with a chief complaint of a sore throat for three days. After taking the prescribed amoxicillin, he experienced a severe allergic reaction. I will explore genetics’s role in the disease, the process that creates his symptoms, physiologic response, the cells involved in the process, and a characteristic that may affect the response.
Genetic Role
Group A streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis is most common in children between five and fifteen. It accounts for 20% to 30% of sore throats in children and 5% to 15% in adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). The disease was likely to run in the family in children with recurrent GAS pharyngitis, suggesting a genetic component. Two specific genetic variances were detected in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region, one associated with the increased susceptibility to recurrent pharyngitis and one associated with protection against the disease. The patient’s immune response to the antibiotic is a common disordered known as hypersensitivity NURS 6501 – Advanced Pathophysiology week 1 Discussion: Alterations in Cellular Processes. Hypersensitivity is also linked to strong genetics and is usually not triggered from the first exposure. This response is also connected to the HLA that is attached to the sixth chromosome of the DNA strand. Allergies develop in 40% of offspring in families where one parent has an allergy and as high as 80% in families where both parents have the allergy (Mccance & Huether, 2018).
Causes of symptoms
The immune system is the body’s natural defense system against pathogens and injury. The patient’s body triggers a response upon recognizing the GAS pathogen, which triggers his symptoms of fever, pain, redness to the posterior pharynx with white exudate on his tonsils. His symptoms following the initiation of his antibiotic were signs of an anaphylactic allergic response to the medication. Common symptoms of allergic reactions to antibiotics are nausea and vomiting, dizziness, swelling of the face and lips, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, wheezing, and shock.
Physiological response and cell involvement
Physiological responses were evident in the patient’s response to the pathogen and the antibiotic. When introduced to the body, the GAS and the antibiotic triggered an inflammatory response in the patient’s body, causing swelling, redness, pain, and heat. Mast cells play a lead role in the inflammatory process. When activated, the mast cell can selectively release or rapidly release mediators. The cells that come in contact with the intruder start releasing chemokines, which are small proteins that act as messengers. This activates the mast cells, and the mast cells release histamines. The histamines cause vasodilation of the capillary endothelial cells, and the capillaries become larger, equalling swelling. The walls of the capillaries then become more porous, allowing phagocytes to squeeze through the capillary walls. The phagocytes, neutrophils, begin the process of phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is the process of the phagocyte surrounding and destroying the foreign substance and removing dead cells NURS 6501 – Advanced Pathophysiology week 1 Discussion: Alterations in Cellular Processes.
Patient characteristics that could change the response
Age is associated with the risks of contracting diseases. Some illnesses are more common in children, while others are more common in older adults. For example, the GAS has an increased incidence in children ages five to fifteen. Whereas drug allergy concerns increase with age and being female was associated with more significant concern for more severe allergic reactions (Blumenthal et al., 2020).
References
Blumenthal, K. G., Harkness, T., Phillips, E. J., Ramsey, A., Banerji, A., Samarakoon, U., Stone, C., Fu, X., Khan, D. A., Otani, I., Camargo, C. A., Zhang, Y., Donelan, K., Blumenthal, K. G., Banerji, A., Harkness, T., Mancini, C. M., Samarakoon, U., Ahola, C. M.,…Khan, D. (2020). Patient characteristics and concerns about drug allergy: A report from the united states drug allergy registry. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 8(9), 2958–2967. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2020.08.018
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 23). Pharyngitis (strep throat): Information for clinicians. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/groupastrep/diseases-hcp/strep-throat.html
Kahn Academy. (2010, February 24). Inflammatory response: human anatomy and physiology [Video file]. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://content.waldenu.edu/content/laureate-academics/wal/instances/ms-nurs/nurs-6501-211129-211026-n3k3bb1a/week-01.html#section_container_1716881496
Mccance, K. L., & Huether, S. E. (2018). Pathophysiology – e-book: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (8th ed.). Mosby.
Medline Plus. (2021, February 22). What is a cell?: Medlineplus genetics. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/basics/cell/
ScienceNews. (2020, November 9). Penicillin allergies may be linked to one immune system gene. Science News. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/penicillin-allergies-immune-system-genetics NURS 6501 – Advanced Pathophysiology week 1 Discussion: Alterations in Cellular Processes
