A patient requiring mechanical ventilation Essay

A patient requiring mechanical ventilation - Essay Example She was hospitalised for 4 weeks and needed the tracheostomy tube to be in place for 9-weeks following discharge. In general it is found that collaborations between the intensive care nurse and the intensive care specialist is vital for evaluating and managing the patient and to ensure that the outcomes are fruitful. In general, the mortalities for ARDS are high (40 to 50%), mainly due to the ineffective traditional methods of managing such patients that have been utilised in the past. However, with use of several evidence-based protocols, the outcomes can be improved. Some of the measures that were provided to Rita included include mechanical ventilation, tracheostomy, prone positioning (HOB elevation), antibiotic administration (as she had sepsis), ECMO (due to sudden drop in the partial pressure of oxygen), sedation protocols, supportive therapy, RBC packed cell and platelet transfusion and a conservative fluid strategy. Rita developed renal complications and aspiration pneumonia, which were effectively managed. A careful nursing plan requires to be chalked out to cater to the individual needs of the patient. Ideal treatment would ensure speedy recovery and early resumption of normal activities by the patient. Case Study of a Patient Suffering from ARDS and requiring Mechanical Ventilation and Nursing Care Introduction This case study is of a 38-year old female, by name Rita, who was suffering from acute distress respiratory syndrome (ARDS), due to sepsis and requiring mechanical ventilation and a nursing care plan. ARDS is a condition in which the lungs are unable to perform their usual function of absorbing oxygen (Ensure Care Plan 2011). ARDS usually may follow critical illnesses, serious injuries or developed after major surgeries. The condition is a form of pulmonary oedema not from a proper cardiac cause, which occurs due to a drop in pressure in the pulmonary arteries (ARDS Training 2010). In ARDS, there is leakage of fluids and proteins into the air sacs and the interstitial lung tissues leading to pulmonary oedema (caused from damage to the alveoli-capillary mechanism) (Austin CC 2012). There may be several mediators involved in the damage of the alveoli-capillary mechanism including microorganisms, toxins, allergens, neutrophils, TNF, etc. After injury, the symptoms can develop within en 24 to 72 hours, and the respiratory functions tend to deteriorate leading to decreased lung volumes and compliance (Ensure Nursing Plan 2011). Due to the damage to the pneumocytes type 2, the lungs collapse and there is a decrease in the volume of the lungs. Fibrocytes convert the intra-alveolar fluid to a fibrous tissue and leads to poor ventilation (causing hypoxemia). When ARDS progresses, the patient can develop respiratory failure and can lead to arrest of the cardiopulmonary functions (Ensure Nursing Plan 2011). Usually ARDS develops from an underlying cause or a lung disorder and may vary depending upon the geographical location, age g roup, etc. Some of the causes of ARDS include direct injuries (may be trauma, chemical, oxygen toxicity, damage from free radicals, thermal or burns, drug overdose, or sepsis), drowning (or near drowning) or hemorrhagic shock (ARDS Training 2010). The incidence of ARDS is about 140,000 to 150,000 cases each year, and about 40 to 50% of the affected cases develop mortalities (Ensure Care Plans 2011). This is a case

Discrimination and Racial Profiling Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discrimination and Racial Profiling - Coursework Example The categorization of people based on their race has resulted in numerous problems starting in the 17th century all the way to the 21st century. It promoted slave trade, especially for Africans. This explains why the African-Americans are the most segregated group in the U.S (Klein, 2012). After being arrested, a black person is 33% more likely to be incarcerated as compared to the whites. An African-American is 30% more likely to drop out of school than the whites and 21% than the Hispanics or Latinos. In the same way, the police are likely to pull over and frisk either blacks or Latinos than whites. In the city of New York, 80% of the police stops made were for African-Americans, 60% for Hispanics, and 12% for whites. In 2013, the U.S Sentencing Commission reported that blacks received 11% longer than whites for similar crimes than whites. In the same way, the black drug offenders were 20% more likely than whites to receive mandatory minimum sentences (Alexander, 2013). To that eff ect, the blacks remain the most discriminated ethnic group. As the most segregated minority groups, the blacks have been forced to give up their culture so as to participate in the mainstream American life. Recent studies have indicated that 75% of the black ethnic minority experience unemployment. Furthermore, their health and education facilities are poorly equipped than the white’s who are considered the majority community and superior (Waters,