The patient with rheumatoid arthritis care - case study based on the ICNP®

Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis is included in immunosuppressive diseases. this disease can lead to disability. It usually manifests itself with pain or stiffness in the morning lasting up to one hour. The treatment should include patient rehabilitation and treatment with pharmaceuticals. It is also important to educate the patient about the causes and consequences of the disease.

Aim of the study

The aim of this study is to show nursing interventions to patients after hip replacement. When creating a care plan, the used terms derived from ICNP®.

Case

In the presented case, the patient is a woman aged 67 years old with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. This disease has been accompanying the patient for 35 years. In recent years, she has experienced increased pain in the area of the spine and hip. The hip joint has been degraded. The patient has mobility problems. She was sent to the hospital for an orthopedic ward to perform a hip replacement surgery. The treatment ran correctly and without complications in the general anesthesia of the patient. The patient left the postoperative room with the Redon drainage system.

Discussion

Rheumatoid arthritis in Poland is a quite common disease. Among the factors affecting the incidence of sex, we can distinguish sex, it follows that women are more often affected by this disease. Most often we deal with an acute form of this disease, which affects almost 2/3 of all patients. Diseases that often appear together during rheumatoid arthritis are obesity and diabetes [Baran, Majorczyk, Jaworek, 2016]. The progress of the disease carries complications related to the blood system, so a frequent cause of death among patients is: heart attack, heart failure, or stroke [2]. This disease has a negative impact on the patient’s well-being. The persistent pain and lack of control over it deteriorate the patient’s comfort as well as his relationships in society. Problems with moving around and performing basic everyday activities make patients dependent on nursing as well as care provided by the patient’s family [Wróbel, Nawalana, Staszkiewicz, Majda, 2017; Wróbel, Nawalana, Staszkiewicz, Majda, 2017]. An aspect that requires special attention is proper treatment of patients affected by the disease as well as focusing on minimizing symptoms of this disease [Wróbel, Nawalana, Staszkiewicz, Majda, 2017].

Conclusions

A person after a surgical procedure to implant a hip joint prosthesis is not able to self-care. It is necessary to use specialist equipment in the home environment and support the family in everyday activities. Nursing activities require involvement in starting the patient, relieving the pain and education of the patient and family. Thanks to the use of terms from the ICNP catalog, the nursing process is understandable for people of different nationalities.