Managing Immunodeficiency

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Managing Immunodeficiency
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Immunodeficiency Disorders

• Cause
• Defect or deficiency of phagocytic cells,
  B-lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes or complement system
• Cardinal Symptoms
• Chronic or recurrent severe infections
• Infections by unusual organisms or organisms that
  are normally body flora
• Poor response to standard treatment for
  infections
• Chronic diarrhea

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Immunodeficiency Disorders

• Increase susceptibility to secondary disorders
• Identify a common disorder that can occur
  secondary to an immunodeficiency disorder.
• Classifications
• Primary
• Secondary

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Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders

• Inborn errors of immune function
• Fatal if not treated
• Presentations and prognoses are variable
• Common disorders
• Disorders of humoral immunity
• T-cell defects
• Combined B- and T-cell defects
• Phagocytic disorders
• Compliment deficiencies

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Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders

• Differentiate between the pathophysiology,
  clinical manifestations, assessment and
  diagnostic findings and management of primary
  immunodeficiency disorders.
• Review
• Table 51-1 Selected Primary Immunodeficiency
  Disorders, p. 1803
• Chart 51-1 The 10 Warning Signs of Primary
  Immune Deficiency, p. 1804

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Secondary Immunodeficiency

• More common
• Frequently result from underlying disease process
  or treatment of the disease
• Causes
• Malnutrition, chronic stress, burns, uremia,
  diabetes mellitus
• Certain autoimmune disorders, certain viruses
• Exposure to immunotoxic drugs and chemicals
• Recreational drugs and alcohol
• AIDS

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Nursing Management

• Discuss what must be assessed and why.
• Describe what must be monitored and why.
• Discuss how reducing the risk for infection in
  an immunocompromised individual can be achieved.