NR503 Week 5 Infectious Disease Paper Complete Solution
Infectious Disease: Meningococcal Meningitis
Infectious disease is an illness caused by a
... [Show More] microorganism; whereas a communicable disease is an infectious disease that is caused by a microorganism that persons can readily spread to one another through contact with a contaminate (Edemekong & Huang, 2019). A communicable disease of interest is meningococcal meningitis (MM). MM is a form of meningitis caused by a bacterium and is an infection and inflammation of the meninges; the protective lining covering the brain and spinal cord. MM is a serious illness and is associated with up to a 50% fatality rate if left untreated. Eight to fifteen percent of persons diagnosed with MM die from the disease even though they received early diagnosis and adequate treatment (Oordt-Speets, Bolijin, Van Hoorn, Bhavsar, & Kyaw, 2018). The bacteria Neisseria meningitides cause MM (World Health Organization (WHO), 2018). Symptoms of meningitis consist of neck stiffness, fever, and severe headache and can be accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and confusion. These symptoms may have a sudden onset but typically take 3 to 7 days to appear after exposure. The mode of transmission for meningitis is person to person most often spread through direct exchange of throat or respiratory secretions through coughing, kissing or sharing of dirty eating utensils or straws. Living in close quarters, and close or prolonged contact facilitates the spread of disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2017). Diagnosis of MM is made through blood cultures and evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Treatment with antibiotics should be initiated without delay as soon as the CSF is collected (Tunkle,2019). According to Oordt-Speets et al., (2018) 10 to 20 % of survivors of MM experience long-lasting damage such as hearing loss and brain damage. MM is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate. Although the incidence and prevalence of the disease in the United States has been observed and is currently at a historically low level, the public health concern of outbreaks remains (MacNeil, Blain, Wang, & Cohn, 2018).
Although anyone can contract MM, it typically affects babies, preschool-aged children, young adults 16- 24 years of age, and adults 65 years of age or older. One aggregate population identified at an increased risk for MM are college students, infectious disease spreads when large groups of people are in close contact like college campuses, classrooms, and dormitories (CDC, 2017). According to Mbaeyi, Joseph, Blain, Wang, Hariri, & MacNeil (2019) from 2014 to 2016 in persons 18 to 24 years of age meningococcal disease occurred with an average annual incidence rate of 0.17 cases per 100, 000 population.
Determinants of Health
Determinants of health are factors that impact the health status of individuals or populations. These factors can be social or economic factors, as well as individual behaviors and one’s physical environment (Curley & Vitale, 2016). For a college student’s environment, individual behaviors and socials factors are determinates of health for the exposure and transmission of meningococcal disease. Environment in relation to close quarters with a large number of people as previously mentioned dormitories and classrooms are prime conditions to spread disease. Risky behaviors such as non-monogamous relationships; kissing more than one person, sharing a cigarette, drinking after someone, or using dirty eating utensils are all ways that the disease may be spread.
Host Factors
A model used to understand how infectious disease is spread is the epidemiologic triangle. The epidemiologic triangle consists of the host, agent, and environment (Curley & Vitale, 2016). The agent that causes MM is the bacteria N. meningitides. The incubation period can range from two to ten days with the average period being four days. The bacteria can be present in the throat, and it is believed that 1 to 10 % of the population has this bacterium in their throat at any given time. N. meningitides infects humans only; and is transmitted by droplets and person to person contact (WHO, 2018). The host is humans; and susceptible by factors such as age, gender, genetics, and immune systems (Curley & Vitale, 2016). Environmental factors include close living quarters and areas where large numbers of people congregate for a prolonged period of time. In the United States, most cases of MM are documented in January, February, and March (CDC, 2017).
Role of the Family Nurse Practitioner
The role of a nurse practitioner (NP) involves a blend of nursing and medical care and services for individuals, families, and aggregate populations; by diagnosing and managing acute and chronic health conditions with a focus on health promotion and disease prevention (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2019). Utilizing knowledge and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is critical in the prevention of MM. The Interprofessional Teamwork for Health and Social Care Framework is a model that can be used in the surveillance, primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions preventions, data collecting, and analysis, as well as reporting of MM (Poghosyan, Norful, & Martsolf, 2017). An interprofessional collaboration with schools, primary care providers, and local health departments to educate the public as to the dangers of MM. It is imperative that the public be aware of the risk factors associated with contracting MM, and that healthy behaviors are encouraged. Promoting vaccinations that protect against MM. According to the CDC (2017), the most effective way to prevent MM is to be vaccinated and to make sure that the vaccination schedule is followed correctly. [Show Less]