Health Medical Homework Help

I’m working on a nursing discussion question and need an explanation to help me study.

Judith Smith 

Discussion 

J.R has been having these symptoms for three days now and it is good that she came in to get checked out and treated. The earlier that the patient seeks medical treatment, the better the outcome will be. Also, the patient will get educated on how to prevent another episode from happening again and also the correct way to take her medication. J.R partner has a history of fever blisters so most likely he has the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). HSV-1 is a highly contagious illness that is widespread and prevalent worldwide. The majority of HSV-1 infections occur in childhood, and the infection lasts a lifetime. The great majority of HSV-1 infections are oral herpes, however, genital herpes is still a possibility (World Health Organization, 2020).
       Any infection or inflammation that affects glandular tissue or lymph nodes is referred to as adenopathy. Swollen lymph nodes are most commonly caused by infections. Swollen lymph nodes will usually recover to their normal size once the infection is treated or gone (Johnson, 2018). So, when someone has a swollen lymph node, they should suspect that an infection is going on within their body and seek medical help early.
       The drug therapy that I would prescribe for J.R when it comes to adenopathy is a pain reliever like Tylenol. The Tylenol will also help to bring her fever down.  I would also prescribe anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen. The swollen lymph node pain or discomfort will go away after the underlying condition has been treated. I would also educate the patient on non-pharmacologic that she can use such as a warm compress for her discomfort. Another drug therapy that I would prescribe is acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir to help treat genital vesicles and ulcers.
       It is very important to monitor the patient’s condition after prescribing a prescription to make sure that the medication is working for them. The parameters for monitoring the success of the therapy for J.R is to monitor whether her lymph node is going down or not. Another parameter for monitoring the success of the therapy for J.R is to monitor whether she is still having pain in her genital area and whether her fever and malaise subsided. Also, if her genital vesicles and ulcers are going away.
       Specific education that I would give J.R in regards to her diagnosis is that she should consider using protection when she is having sexual intercourse with her partner. The protection that I would recommend is using a condom. I would educate J.R that she needs to make sure her vaginal area is clean and dry at all times. I would educate the patient on not to have sex until she is all cleared up. When it comes to the medication that J.R will be taking, I will educate her to continue taking all her treatment until it is finished even if she feels a lot better. I would educate the patient on the proper way to take her medication and the side effects that can happen while taking this medication. Also, the patient’s partner needs to get treatment as well. 

Reference 

Johnson, J. (2018, January 20). Adenopathy: Definition, causes, and treatment. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320660#causes. 

World Health Organization. (2020, May 1). Herpes simplex virus. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus.