Research Paper on Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

Introduction

This paper helps to compare and contrast popular literature validity concerning a pediatric health state that was altered as presented in the course. In this case, it was noted that the affected child had Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). The condition affects the skin leading to the severe reaction of the surface. In most case, when the situation develops it appears as a flu-like symptom that is associated with fever. After some days, blisters forms on the skin and they tend to peel leading to the formation of raw areas. Eruptions of the skin are in most cases pruritic and are accompanied by a headache; fever raises in the level of blood inflammation markers. The condition also affects other areas including the mucous membrane such as those of the mouth (Wulkan & Tosti, 2013). Symptoms indicating the state tend to begin 4 to 28 days after the first day the individual was affected. An Ophthalmologists helps to deal with individuals affected by this condition. If the situation is not managed correctly, it can result in more complicated health condition including pneumonia, sepsis, dehydration and multiple failures of organs.

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Understanding the Diagnostic Procedure Utilized for the Affected Child

It was revealed that the condition which affected the child was Stevens Johnsons Syndrome and therefore the diagnostic procedure following the situation shall be evaluated and analyzed. To be able to carry out the diagnosis of the state less than ten percentage of the skin is used together with an intermediate form of 10 to 30 percent (Chinazzo et al., 2017). This is used due to how it is believed that Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) follows the same reactions similar to those of the reaction mechanism demonstrated by type IV hypersensitivity.

In most cases, the diagnostic procedure employed depends on the cause of the condition. Thus, it is done depending on whether the affected person had taken known drugs, whether the pustules that overlie the red area are multiple and presence of biopsied lesions that present that the pustules are under the skin.

There are various tests which a particular drug have been proposed, and they are termed as useful in the diagnosis of SJS. The analysis presents whether the condition was as a result of the use of certain drugs especially if the affected person was under multiple drug use. In this case, the tests include; allergy tests, application of the suspected drug to be absorbed in patches which get applied on the skin as well as taking some drugs orally (Chinazzo et al., 2017). This helps to provoke and assess the possibility of the suspected agent to cause the medical condition to be worse.

Other tests which are carried out in vitro can also be used in the diagnosis of the disease. The criteria include the ELISPOT tests which measure specific lymphocytes which are drug induced and the individual response of blood mononuclear cell to the suspected drug (Gyapong, 2016). The diagnosis should be made appropriately to avoid confusion with other medical conditions like bacterial postural eruptions and those caused by Varicella zoster virus.

How a Parent Can Perceive the Medical Condition That Their Child Is Living With

There are various strategies which parents can utilize to assess their condition children. In such cases, the parent who is responsible for the health care of the child notices some unusual features that a child presents. The parent can, therefore, check for physical sign and symptoms of a possible medical condition (Chinazzo et al., 2017). Additionally, the parent can assess the functioning of various body organs including eyes, tongue, hands, and brain.

If the medical condition affecting the child is Stevens-Johnson syndrome, then a parent can assess a sick child as follows. First, there is a need to check for the presence of blisters if SJS is suspected. This is because the blisters indicate the first sign of being affected by the disease. Additionally, a parent can check for the presence of; sores in the mouth, fever, and cough. These are also the potential feature that can be immediately noted if a child develops SJS. Nevertheless, the parent can hear their child complain about widespread pain that is at times unexplained (Wulkan & Tosti, 2013).

Moreover, the child may present purple or red skin rashes which spread all over the within a short period. Similarly, blisters can be identified in other areas like the mucous membrane of the eyes, genitals, nose, and eyes. The best confirmatory sign that the parent can use to tell SJS condition is when the formation of blisters is followed by skin shedding after some days.

SJS prognosis

SJS medical condition is expected to have the following features especially for a patient less than 50 years old. Have a low total body surface area, patients get to be transferred into a burn center, no sepsis conditioned noted, and there is no use of antibiotics by the patient (Gyapong, 2016).

SJS Medications

At some point, SJS is managed using drugs such as those which; reduces pain, lowers inflammation as well as antibiotics that regulates infections. But the severity of SJS is what determines the medication to be used (Ball et al., 2016). At some point treatments related to safe treatments and oral steroids are used.

Non-pharmacological Therapies for SJS

There are also therapies utilized to treat SJS without the use of medications. This involves the use of appropriate management practices to offer necessary care. In this case, it is assumed that there is no right treatment for SJS and therefore attention is given to the affected person depending on the presenting symptom. Thus, the care offered is symptomatically cared for.

Non-pharmacological interventions that can be used include; replacing an individual fluid and ensuring intake of well-balanced diet. Also, supportive care is offered to provide that patient well-being is enhanced. The patient's eyes are also cared for by a specialist. Finally, the wound that develops is cared for to ensure the healing process is faster.

When the literature of the famous novel is compared and contrasted with the current text validity and accuracy of the text information is realized. First, in both, it is noted that the Ophthalmology plays a crucial role in regulating complications that tend to arise from SJS through their timely and proper diagnosis that enables them to manage the condition before it gets to progressive level (Ball et al., 2016). However, the popular literature did not demonstrate the importance of considering and taking account of the patient clinical presentation especially of typical features before diagnosis but the other literature texts mainly emphasized on trying to identify SJS condition before a determination is done to be able to prevent the disease from progressing to a severe stage.

References

Ball, J. W., Bindler, R. C., Cowen, K., & Shaw, M. R. (2016). Principles of pediatric nursing: Caring for children. Pearson.

Chinazzo, M., Lorette, G., Baran, R., Finon, A., Saliba, E. & Maruani, A. (2017). Nail features in healthy term newborns: a single-center observational study of 52 cases. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 31(2), 371-375.

Gyapong, J. O. (2016). An overview of neglected tropical diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Neglected Tropical Diseases-Sub-Saharan Africa (pp. 1-14). Springer, Cham.

Wulkan, A. J., & Tosti, A. (2013). Pediatric nail conditions. Clinics in dermatology, 31(5), 564-572.