Pharmacotherapy for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders Paper

Pharmacotherapy for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders Paper

Pharmacotherapy for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders Paper

Pharmacotherapy for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders Sample Paper

The case concerns HL, with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The patient has a history of illicit drug use and a possible Hepatitis C infection. The current drug therapy includes Synthroid 100 mcg, Nifedipine 30 mg, and Prednisone 10 mg. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the diagnosis and drug therapy for this patient.

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Diagnosis

The patient’s symptoms and medical history are consistent with Hepatitis C, which is caused by Hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is transmitted parenterally through contaminated blood from sharing and recycling syringes among drug users, unsafe sexual practices, and unsafe health practices like transfusing unscreened blood (Lazarus et al., 2020). The clinical manifestations of Hepatitis C include nausea, vomiting, anorexia, non-specific upper abdominal discomfort, jaundice, and malaise (Kouroumalis & Voumvouraki, 2022). However, some patients are asymptomatic. Hepatitis C is the presumptive diagnosis owing to the patient’s positive GI symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In addition, the patient has a history of illicit drug use, which puts him at risk of contracting HCV and a history of Hepatitis C infection.  

Drug Therapy Plan

Treatment guidelines for Hepatitis C recommend treatment with antiviral drugs following the initial diagnosis of the condition. Effective direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) are recommended for hepatitis C to lower the chances of progressing to chronic infection. The patient’s treatment plan will include Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni) 1 tablet (90 mg/400 mg) orally once daily for 8 weeks (Chung et al., 2018). The oral combination of Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir is used to treat adults with chronic hepatitis C, with or without cirrhosis.

Conclusion

Hepatitis C is the presumptive diagnosis for this patient based on the presence of GI symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The patient may have contracted HCV from sharing syringes, or it could be a chronic infection considering the history of possible Hepatitis C. Treatment will be a combination of Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir, which is recommended for chronic Hepatitis C.

References

Chung, R. T., Ghany, M. G., Kim, A. Y., Marks, K. M., Naggie, S., Vargas, H. E.,Aronsohn, A.I., Bhattacharya, D., Broder, T., Falade-Nwulia, O.O.,& Fontana, R. J. (2018). Hepatitis C guidance 2018 update: AASLD-IDSA recommendations for testing, managing, and treating hepatitis C virus infection. Clinical Infectious Diseases. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy585

Kouroumalis, E., & Voumvouraki, A. (2022). Hepatitis C virus: A critical approach to who really needs treatment. World journal of hepatology, 14(1), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.4254/wjh.v14.i1.1

 Lazarus, J. V., Roel, E., & Elsharkawy, A. M. (2020). Hepatitis C Virus Epidemiology and the Impact of Interferon-Free Hepatitis C Virus Therapy. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 10(3), a036913. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a036913

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Symptoms of various gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatobiliary disorders often overlap, making diagnosis and treatment challenging. For example, symptoms such as vomiting, constipation, and bloating are non-specific and could also be the result of underlying medical history or current prescription drug use. As an advanced practice nurse, you could be potentially responsible for providing care to a patient who may present with non-specific symptoms related to the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary systems.

In module 3 / Week 4, you will have the opportunity to assess a patient case and ask specific questions regarding drug interactions, potential differential diagnoses, and how you would proceed forward with creating a treatment plan for your patient.

Please see the case below.

Patient HL comes into the clinic with the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The patient has a history of drug abuse and possible Hepatitis C. HL is currently taking the following prescription drugs:

Synthroid 100 mcg daily

Nifedipine 30 mg daily

Prednisone 10 mg daily

Explain your diagnosis for the patient, including your rationale for the diagnosis.

Describe an appropriate drug therapy plan based on the patient’s history, diagnosis, and drugs currently prescribed.

Justify why you would recommend this drug therapy plan for this patient. Be specific and provide examples.

Gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatobiliary disorders affect the structure and function of the GI tract. Many of these disorders often have similar symptoms, such as abdominal pain, cramping, constipation, nausea, bloating, and fatigue. Since multiple disorders can be tied to the same symptoms, it is important for advanced practice nurses to carefully evaluate patients and prescribe a treatment that targets the cause rather than the symptom.
Once the underlying cause is identified, an appropriate drug therapy plan can be recommended based on medical history and individual patient factors. In this Assignment, you examine a case study of a patient who presents with symptoms of a possible GI/hepatobiliary disorder, and you design an appropriate drug therapy plan.
To Prepare
Review the case study assigned by your Instructor for this Assignment
Reflect on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and drugs currently prescribed.
Think about a possible diagnosis for the patient. Consider whether the patient has a disorder related to the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary system or whether the symptoms are the result of a disorder from another system or other factors, such as pregnancy, drugs, or a psychological disorder.
Consider an appropriate drug therapy plan based on the patient’s history, diagnosis, and drugs currently prescribed.

Write a 1-page paper that addresses the following:
Explain your diagnosis for the patient, including your rationale for the diagnosis.
Describe an appropriate drug therapy plan based on the patient’s history, diagnosis, and drugs currently prescribed.
Justify why you would recommend this drug therapy plan for this patient. Be specific and provide examples.
Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references