Discussions, week 1, week 2, week 3 - Assignment Example

Case study discussion due: Week Dermatitis is a regularly occurring skin condition characterized by a red and itchy rash. The rash may sometimes be swollen, bleeding or have weepy patches. It is among the most common chronic inflammatory skin conditions with a prevalence rate of 20% in children and 3% of adults (Ring et al., 2012). In the case of this woman, atopical dermatitis would be the first diagnosis to consider. However, further diagnosis would be required to establish the exact cause of the dermatitis.

Other diagnoses would include allergic reactions, bacterial or viral infections or other superficial infection To determine the cause of the itching, one should consider a history of the same symptoms. A dietary assessment is also required to determine if the skin reaction is due to an allergy. Certain drugs also cause allergic reactions. Lab tests may also be mandatory to establish if it is a microbial infection. Since the available information does not point to a specific condition, the patient should be treated for superficial infection and referred for further tests.

A follow-up is necessary to assess the course of treatment (Wilson et al., 2013).Week 2 Mr. AK has several chronic conditions that he is aware of and is receiving treatment. However, his recent loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss in the past few weeks is unexplained and could be as a result of several factors. His medical examination does not provide concrete evidence of the underlying cause. His dietary history points to certain factors that could have contributed to his current condition.

AK takes wine every night before going to bed, which might be the main cause of his appetite loss. Alcohol has been shown to cause sleep disturbance (Ebrahim et al., 2013). It may reduce the time to fall asleep but prevents one from having a peaceful sleep. Also, alcohol reduces the appetite, and this can lead to unwanted weight loss. In the case of AK, the alcohol intake might be the main cause of his loss of appetite, weight loss, and daytime somnolence. As a treatment measure, he should be advised to avoid taking alcohol before going to bed and a follow up done to ensure he is complying.

Week 3 Facial itch can be caused by several factors. These include microbial infection, allergic reactions, skin diseases and facial hygiene among others. Chronic facial itch is usually as a result of dysfunction of itch sensing neurons that send false signals of pruritogenic stimuli to the brain (Oaklander, 2012). This condition is known as neuropathic itch, and usually does not involve direct illness to the itchy area. However, the excessive scratching can result in the formation of lesions.

In the case of the woman with type 2 diabetes, it could be a case of diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes is known to damage the nervous system especially when blood sugar levels are not controlled effectively. The most common body parts affected by diabetic neuropathy are the hands and legs (including the fingers and toes), although other areas cannot be ruled out completely. The woman in the case study should be investigated further to determine the exact cause of the facial itch. Neuropathic itch is usually treatable using a range of approaches, from physical barriers to neurosurgical treatment (Weisshaar & Matterne, 2014).

ReferencesEbrahim, I. O., Shapiro, C. M., Williams, A. J., & Fenwick, P. B. (2013). Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37(4), 539-549.Ring, J., Alomar, A., Bieber, T., Deleuran, M., Fink‐Wagner, A., Gelmetti, C., . & Darsow, U. (2012). Guidelines for treatment of atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) Part II. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 26(9), 1176- 1193.Oaklander, A. L. (2011, June). Neuropathic itch.

In Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery (Vol. 30, No. 2, p. 87). NIH Public Access.Weisshaar, E., & Matterne, U. (2014). 2 Epidemiology of Itch. Itch: Mechanisms and Treatment, 9.Wilson, S. R., Thé, L., Batia, L. M., Beattie, K., Katibah, G. E., McClain, S. P., . & Bautista, D.M. (2013). The epithelial cell-derived atopic dermatitis cytokine TSLP activates neurons to induce itch. Cell, 155(2), 285-295.