Nursing Homework Help| Nursing homework help
Patient presented with fevers, crampy pain in the left lower quadrant, and constipation. The symptoms of diverticulitis are common among older adults with chronic inflammatory diseases of the bowel. Diverticulitis happens when the diverticula, which are small bulging pouches located in the colon become infected. The patient in this case had multiple episodes of diverticulitis, which always responded well to oral antibiotics and bowel rest. The patient’s refusal to get the recommended colonoscopy could have led to a delayed diagnosis and colon cancer.
There are several genes that have been linked to colon cancer. These include APC, KRAS TP53 and SMAD4. These mutations can cause uncontrolled cell growth in the colon. This can eventually lead to cancer. In this case, the patient’s family history of colon cancer may have also increased his risk for the disease.
Immunosuppression refers to a condition in which your immune system has been weakened. It can also increase the chances of getting certain cancers and infections. Certain medications such as immunosuppressants or chemotherapy used for autoimmune disorders, as well as certain medical conditions like HIV and organ transplant can cause this. The immune system can have a negative impact on multiple organ systems. This includes the gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary systems. In this case, the patient’s chronic inflammatory bowel disease may have resulted in some degree of immunosuppression, which may have contributed to the development of his colon cancer.