NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders

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NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders – Step-by-Step Guide

The first step before starting to write the NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders, it is essential to understand the requirements of the assignment. The first step is to read the assignment prompt carefully to identify the topic, the length and format requirements. You should go through the rubric provided so that you can understand what is needed to score the maximum points for each part of the assignment. 

It is also important to identify the audience of the paper and its purpose so that it can help you determine the tone and style to use throughout. You can then create a timeline to help you complete each stage of the paper, such as conducting research, writing the paper, and revising it to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline. After identifying the formatting style to be applied to the paper, such as APA, you should review its use, such as writing citations and referencing the resources used. You should also review how to format the title page and the headings in the paper.

How to Research and Prepare for NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders

The next step in preparing for your paper is to conduct research and identify the best sources to use to support your arguments. Identify the list of keywords from your topic using different combinations. The first step is to visit the university library and search through its database using the important keywords related to your topic. You can also find books, peer-reviewed articles, and credible sources for your topic from PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Ensure that you select the references that have been published in the last words and go through each to check for credibility. Ensure that you obtain the references in the required format, for example, in APA, so that you can save time when creating the final reference list. 

You can also group the references according to their themes that align with the outline of the paper. Go through each reference for its content and summarize the key concepts, arguments and findings for each source. You can write down your reflections on how each reference connects to the topic you are researching about. After the above steps, you can develop a strong thesis that is clear, concise and arguable. Next you should create a detailed outline of the paper so that it can help you to create headings and subheadings to be used in the paper. Ensure that you plan what point will go into each paragraph.

How to Write the Introduction for NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders

The introduction of the paper is the most crucial part as it helps to provide the context of your work, and will determine if the reader will be interested to read through to the end. You should start with a hook, which will help capture the reader’s attention. You should contextualize the topic by offering the reader a concise overview of the topic you are writing about so that they may understand its importance. You should state what you aim to achieve with the paper. The last part of the introduction should be your thesis statement, which provides the main argument of the paper.

How to Write the Body for NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders

The body of the paper helps you to present your arguments and evidence to support your claims. You can use headings and subheadings developed in the paper’s outline to guide you on how to organize the body. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to help the reader know what point you will be discussing in that paragraph. Support your claims using the evidence conducted from the research, ensure that you cite each source properly using in-text citations. You should analyze the evidence presented and explain its significance and how it connects to the thesis statement. You should maintain a logical flow between each paragraph by using transition words and a flow of ideas.

How to Write the In-text Citations for NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders

In-text citations help the reader to give credit to the authors of the references they have used in their works. All ideas that have been borrowed from references, any statistics and direct quotes must be referenced properly. The name and date of publication of the paper should be included when writing an in-text citation. For example, in APA, after stating the information, you can put an in-text citation after the end of the sentence, such as (Smith, 2021). If you are quoting directly from a source, include the page number in the citation, for example (Smith, 2021, p. 15). Remember to also include a corresponding reference list at the end of your paper that provides full details of each source cited in your text. An example paragraph highlighting the use of in-text citations is as below:

The integration of technology in nursing practice has significantly transformed patient care and improved health outcomes. According to Smith (2021), the use of electronic health records (EHRs) has streamlined communication among healthcare providers, allowing for more coordinated and efficient care delivery. Furthermore, Johnson and Brown (2020) highlight that telehealth services have expanded access to care, particularly for patients in rural areas, thereby reducing barriers to treatment.

How to Write the Conclusion for NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders

When writing the conclusion of the paper, start by restarting your thesis, which helps remind the reader what your paper is about. Summarize the key points of the paper, by restating them. Discuss the implications of your findings and your arguments. End with a call to action that leaves a lasting impact on the reader or recommendations.

How to Format the Reference List for NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders

The reference helps provide the reader with the complete details of the sources you cited in the paper. The reference list should start with the title “References” on a new page. It should be aligned center and bolded. The references should be organized in an ascending order alphabetically and each should have a hanging indent. If a source has no author, it should be alphabetized by the title of the work, ignoring any initial articles such as “A,” “An,” or “The.” If you have multiple works by the same author, list them in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication. 

Each reference entry should include specific elements depending on the type of source. For books, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the book in italics, the edition (if applicable), and the publisher’s name. For journal articles, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the article (not italicized), the title of the journal in italics, the volume number in italics, the issue number in parentheses (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For online sources, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL at the end of the reference. An example reference list is as follows:

References

Johnson, L. M., & Brown, R. T. (2020). The role of telehealth in improving patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000456

Smith, J. A. (2021). The impact of technology on nursing practice. Health Press.

NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders Example

Week 4 Case Study

Hi everyone-

I hope everyone had a good week!  This week we will be looking at GI disorders.  We have a paper that will be due.

Please use the following case for your assignment:

DC is a 46-year-old female who presents with a 24-hour history of RUQ pain.  She states the pain started about 1 hour after a large dinner she had with her family.  She has had nausea and on instance of vomiting before presentation. Have a look at NURS 6521 Week 5 Discussion: Diabetes and Drug Treatments

PMH: Vitals:
HTN Temp:  98.8oF
Type II DM Wt:       202 lbs
Gout Ht:        5’8”
DVT – Caused by oral BCPs BP:       136/82
HR:       82 bpm
Current Medications: Notable Labs:
Lisinopril 10 mg daily WBC:                13,000/mm3
HCTZ 25 mg daily Total bilirubin:    0.8 mg/dL
Allopurinol 100 mg daily Direct bilirubin:  0.6 mg/dL
Multivitamin daily Alk Phos:           100 U/L
AST:                   45 U/L
ALT:                   30 U/L

Allergies:

  • Latex
  • Codeine
  • Amoxicillin

PE:

  • Eyes: EOMI
  • HENT: Normal
  • GI:bNondistended, minimal tenderness
  • Skin:bWarm and dry
  • Neuro: Alert and Oriented
  • Psych:bAppropriate mood

Pharmacotherapy for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders 

Based on the provided case study, the patient, DC, appears to be presenting with acute cholecystitis. The sudden onset of the right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain occurring approximately one hour after a large dinner is indicative of gallbladder inflammation. The gallbladder is located in the RUQ, and cholecystitis often manifests as sharp or colicky pain in this region (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021). Additionally, DC reports experiencing nausea and vomiting, which are common symptoms associated with cholecystitis, particularly when biliary colic occurs due to gallstone obstruction.

DC possesses several risk factors that further support the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. Being a 46-year-old female, she is more prone to gallbladder-related issues. Her weight of 202 lbs and height of 5’8″ indicate obesity, which is associated with an increased risk of gallstone formation. Furthermore, her medical history reveals a diagnosis of hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus (DM), and a previous deep vein thrombosis (DVT) caused by oral contraceptive pills (BCPs). While the latter is unrelated to the current symptoms, hypertension and type II DM can contribute to the overall clinical picture.

Considering the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, an appropriate drug therapy plan for DC would involve pain management, administration of antibiotics, and symptom relief. Pain can be managed using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. However, due to DC’s comorbidities of hypertension and type II DM, acetaminophen may be a safer choice, as it does not significantly affect blood pressure or glucose levels. Conversely, NSAIDs can potentially interfere with antihypertensive medications and have adverse effects on blood pressure.

The next aspect of the drug therapy plan involves antibiotic treatment. Acute cholecystitis involves inflammation and infection of the gallbladder (Gallaher & Charles, 2022). Therefore, an appropriate antibiotic regimen should be prescribed. A combination of a third-generation cephalosporin, such as ceftriaxone, and metronidazole would be suitable. This combination provides broad-spectrum coverage against gram-negative organisms commonly found in biliary infections and anaerobic bacteria. Additionally, symptom relief for DC’s nausea and vomiting can be achieved through the use of antiemetics. Ondansetron, a well-tolerated antiemetic, can be considered to alleviate these symptoms and improve the patient’s overall comfort.

References

Gallaher, J. R., & Charles, A. (2022). Acute cholecystitis: A review. JAMA, 327(10), 965-975. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.2350

Rosenthal, L. D., & Burchum, J. R. (2021). Lehne’s pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants (2nd ed.) St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

NURS 6521 Week 4 Assignment: Pharmacotherapy For Gastrointestinal And Hepatobiliary Disorders Example 2

Case Study: Gastroenteritis

HL is a patient who presents with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea with a history of drug abuse and possible Hepatitis C. This paper aims to highlight the differential diagnosis based on the patient’s presenting complaint, describe the recommended drug therapy, and justify its use for this patient.

Differential Diagnoses

The primary diagnosis is gastroenteritis. Differential diagnoses include food poisoning and bowel obstruction. Gastroenteritis is a viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection of the intestines that presents with the above presentation in addition to abdominal pain and is highly contagious (Maslennikov et al., 2021). The main causative agents are viruses, including noroviruses and rotavirus, transmitted through ingestion or coming into contact with contaminated food and water. Using prednisone, which suppresses the immune system, means an increased predisposition to infections. In addition to the patient’s presenting complaint, this means that gastroenteritis is the primary diagnosis.

Drug Therapy Plan

Gastroenteritis is often self-limiting, and the patient is encouraged to stay hydrated and rest. In this patient, I would recommend antiemetic drugs such as ondansetron (Riddle, 2018). In addition, I would recommend loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate. After finding out the reason for the use of prednisone, I would slowly taper off the drug and eventually discontinue it. The patient can continue using both Synthroid and nifedipine.

Justification For Drug Therapy

Antiemetics are critical in minimizing vomiting and consequent fluid loss. Ondansetron is my preferred drug of choice due to its limited sedative properties compared to other antiemetics, such as promethazine (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021). Antidiarrheals such as loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate help address diarrhea, significantly contributing to fluid loss. Tapering off the prednisone and eventually discontinuing it is crucial in this patient. Corticosteroids such as prednisone, when used over long durations of time, significantly impact the liver. These drugs often increase the risk of developing or worsening nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This is particularly risky in this patient with possible hepatitis C. Nifedipine and Synthroid have minimal to no impact on the liver and can be continued.

Conclusion

The patient’s presenting complaints paint a picture of gastroenteritis. Despite the condition being mostly self-limiting, prescribing antiemetics and antidiarrheals is important to minimize fluid loss. Discontinuing drugs such as prednisone, which have a significant impact on the liver in such a patient, is essential to minimize the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

References

Maslennikov, R., Poluektova, E., Ivashkin, V., & Svistunov, A. (2021). Diarrhea in adults with coronavirus disease-beyond incidence and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Infectious Diseases (London, England), 53(5), 348–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2021.1885733

Riddle M. S. (2018). Current management of acute diarrheal infections in adults. Polish Archives Of Internal Medicine, 128(11), 685–692. https://doi.org/10.20452/pamw.4363

Rosenthal, L. D., & Burchum, J. R. (2021). Lehne’s pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants (2nd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.