Treatments for Immune disorders
Hospital statistics for Immune disorders:
These medical statistics relate to hospitals, hospitalization and Immune disorders:
- Hospitalization statistics in Australia:
- 1.3% (51,522) of hospital episodes were for disorders of blood and blood-forming organs and immune mechanism in public hospitals in Australia 2001-02 (Australian Hospital Data, AIHW, Australia, 2001-02)
- 64% of hospitalisations for disorders of blood and blood-forming organs and immune mechanism were single day episodes in public hospitals in Australia 2001-02 (Australian Hospital Data, AIHW, Australia, 2001-02)
- 85% of hospitalisations in public hospitals for disorders of blood and blood-forming organs and immune mechanism were by public patients in Australia 2001-02 (Australian Hospital Data, AIHW, Australia, 2001-02)
- more hospital information...»
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Anaphylaxis:
Treatment (Tx)
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Epinephrine, establishment of airway, I.V. volume expanders, steroids, diphenhydramine, CPR if cardiac arrest occurs
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Common variable immunodeficiency:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Treatment and care of patients with common variable immunodeficiency are essentially the same as for those with X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia.
Injection of immune globulin (usually weekly to monthly) helps maintain the immune response. Because these injections are painful, give them deep into a large muscle mass, such as the gluteal or thigh muscles, and massage well. If the dosage is more than 1.5 ml, divide the dose and inject it into more than one site; for frequent injections, rotate the injection sites. Because immune globulin is composed primarily of IgG, the patient may also need fresh frozen plasma infusions to provide IgA and IgM.
Antibiotics are the mainstay for combating infection. Regular X-rays and pulmonary function studies help monitor lung infection; chest physiotherapy may be ordered to forestall or help clear such infection.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Allergic purpuras:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Treatment is generally symptomatic; for example, severe allergic purpura may require steroids to relieve edema and analgesics to relieve joint and abdominal pain. Some patients with chronic renal disease may benefit from immunosuppressive therapy with azathioprine along with identification of the provocative allergen. An accurate allergy history is essential.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Allergic rhinitis:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Treatment aims to control symptoms by eliminating the environmental antigen, if possible, and providing drug therapy and immunotherapy.
Antihistamines block histamine effects but commonly produce anticholinergic adverse effects (sedation, dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and nervousness). Antihistamines, such as cetirizine, loratadine, and fexofenadine, produce fewer adverse effects and are less likely to cause sedation.
Inhaled intranasal steroids produce local anti-inflammatory effects with minimal systemic adverse effects. The most commonly used intranasal steroids are fluticasone, mometasone, and triamcinolone. These drugs are effective when symptoms aren’t relieved by antihistamines alone.
Advise the patient to use intranasal steroids regularly as prescribed for optimal effectiveness. Cromolyn may be helpful in treating hay fever, but this drug may take up to 4 weeks to produce a satisfactory effect and must be taken regularly during allergy season. Eye drop versions of cromolyn and antihistamines are available for itchy, bloodshot eyes.
Long-term management includes immunotherapy, or desensitization with injections of extracted allergens, administered before or during allergy season or perennially. Seasonal allergies require particularly close dosage regulation.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
anaphylaxis:
Treatment and special considerations
(Handbook of Diseases)
Anaphylaxis is always an emergency. It requires an immediate injection of 0.1 to 0.5 ml of epinephrine 1:1,000 aqueous solution, repeated every 5 to 20 minutes as necessary.
If the patient is in the early stages of anaphylaxis and hasn’t yet lost consciousness and is still normotensive, give epinephrine I.M. or subcutaneously (S.C.), helping it move into the circulation faster by massaging the injection site. For severe reactions, when the patient has lost consciousness and is hypotensive, give epinephrine I.V.
Maintain airway patency. Observe the patient for early signs and symptoms of laryngeal edema (stridor, hoarseness, and dyspnea), which will probably necessitate endotracheal tube insertion or a tracheotomy and oxygen therapy.
If the patient is experiencing cardiac arrest, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including closed-chest heart massage, assisted ventilation, and sodium bicarbonate; further therapy depends on the patient’s response.
Watch for hypotension and shock, and maintain circulatory volume with a volume expander (plasma, a plasma expander, saline solution, or albumin) as needed. Stabilize blood pressure with the I.V. vasopressors norepinephrine and dopamine. Monitor blood pressure, central venous pressure, and urine output as a response index.
After the initial emergency, administer such medications as S.C. epinephrine, a longer-acting epinephrine, a corticosteroid, and I.V. diphenhydramine for long-term management and aminophylline I.V. over 10 to 20 minutes for bronchospasm.
Caution: Rapid infusion of aminophylline may cause or aggravate severe hypotension.
CLINICAL TIP: Even after the acute anaphylactic event has been controlled, patients must be counseled about the risks of delayed signs and symptoms. Any recurrence of shortness of breath, chest tightness, sweating, angioedema, or other signs and symptoms must be reported immediately.
To prevent anaphylaxis, teach the patient to avoid exposure to known allergens. If the patient has a food or drug allergy, he must learn to avoid the offender in all forms. If the patient has an allergy to insect stings, he should avoid open fields and wooded areas during the insect season and should carry an anaphylaxis kit whenever he goes outdoors. Show him how to use the kit. (See Showing patients how to use an anaphylaxis kit.) What’s more, if the patient is prone to anaphylaxis, he should wear a medical identification bracelet identifying his allergies.
If a patient must receive a drug to which he’s allergic, prevent a severe reaction by making sure he receives careful desensitization with gradually increasing doses of the antigen or advance administration of steroids.
A patient with history of allergies should receive a drug with a high anaphylactic potential only after cautious pretesting for sensitivity. Closely monitor the patient during testing, and make sure you have resuscitative equipment and epinephrine ready.
If any patient needs a drug with high anaphylactic potential (particularly a parenteral drug), make sure he receives each dose under close medical observation.
Closely monitor a patient undergoing diagnostic tests that use radiographic contrast dyes, such as cardiac catheterization, excretory urography, and angiography.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Common variable immunodeficiency:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Patients with common variable immunodeficiency need essentially the same treatment as patients with X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia.
I.V. immune globulin (usually weekly to monthly) helps maintain immune response. Because immune globulin is made up primarily of IgG, the patient may also need fresh frozen plasma infusions to provide IgA and IgM.
Antibiotics are the mainstay for combating infection. Regular X-rays and pulmonary function studies help monitor infection in the lungs; chest physiotherapy may forestall or help clear such infection.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Allergic purpura:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Most patients with Henoch-Schönlein syndrome recover completely. When therapy is required, the glucocorticoid prednisone is given in doses of 1 mg/kg, and tapered to response, to relieve edema. An analgesic may be given to relieve joint and abdominal pain. Some patients with chronic renal disease may benefit from intensive plasma exchange combined with an immunosuppressant, along with identification of the provocative allergen. An accurate allergy history is essential.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Treatment is aimed at the cause, if one can be found. Supportive therapy includes an anti-inflammatory, an antihistamine, and rest.
Treatment of symptoms may include a tricyclic antidepressant (doxepin), a histamine2-blocker (cimetidine), and an anxiolytic (alprazolam). In some patients, avoidance of environmental irritants and certain foods may help to relieve symptoms.
Experimental treatments include the antiviral acyclovir and selected immunomodulators, such as I.V. gamma globulin, ampligen, and transfer factor.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Allergic rhinitis:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Symptoms may be prevented by eliminating the environmental antigen, if possible, and by obtaining drug therapy and immunotherapy.
Antihistamines and nasal decongestants are useful for treating acute symptoms. Although these drugs block histamine effects, they do have some adverse anticholinergic effects (sedation, dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and nervousness).
Newer antihistamines, such as cetirizine and loratadine, have proved effective in clinical trials. Fexofenadine may be effective but with less sedation and a lower risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
Inhaled intranasal steroids produce local anti-inflammatory effects with minimal adverse systemic effects. The most commonly used intranasal steroids are flunisolide and beclomethasone. These drugs usually aren’t effective for acute exacerbations, but they can help control chronic symptoms.
Advise the patient to use intranasal steroids regularly, as prescribed, for optimal effectiveness. Cromolyn sodium may be helpful in preventing allergic rhinitis; however, this drug may take up to 4 weeks to produce a satisfactory effect and must be taken regularly during allergy season.
Long-term management includes immunotherapy or desensitization with injections of extracted allergens administered before or during allergy season or perennially. Seasonal allergies require particularly close dosage regulation. Local nasal immunotherapy is also being studied.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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