Patient Educating Points on Peptic Ulcer

Patient education regarding causes, risk factors, and therapy of peptic ulcer disease is very essential for peptic ulcer healing and for preventing ulcer recurrence. In this post, I’m focusing on 4 key points on peptic ulcer disease patient education. The aim of this post is to help healthcare professionals who deliver peptic ulcer disease patient education to be prepared with the required knowledge, and so to “be informative” for their patients.

1) Set treatment goals in participation with the patient: The main treatment goals for peptic ulcer diseases are:

• Relief of ulcer pain
• Healing of ulcer
• Preventing ulcer recurrence
• Preventing complication
• The patient should at least understand the importance of each of the previous goals.

2) Identify and modify risk factors:

This is achieved by: first, taking patient history regarding:

• Presence of other illnesses,
• Patient medication history; especially use of OTC drugs as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and use of corticosteroids,
• Lifestyle habits including diet, alcohol and cigarette smoking.
• Then, helping the patient to modify these risk factors. 
   For example, modifying NSAIDs administration for peptic ulcer disease patients who are in need for NSAIDs (ASPIRIN). Another example, offering advice regarding diet and foods to avoid by peptic ulcer patients.

3) Encourage proper medication use:

• Encourage compliance to the specified regimens (whether it is Helicobacter pylori eradication regimen, proton pump inhibitor PPI therapy, … etc.) and educate the patient about the potential peptic ulcer disease complications (bleeding ulcer – perforation of stomach or duodenum – gastric outlet obstruction) that might occur if these regimens are not followed properly. And make sure that the patient understands when to administer the medications. For example, PPIs should be administered 15-30 minutes before meals.
• Identify potential drug – drug interactions by referring topatient medication history. Among the important peptic ulcer medications that may cause drug interactions are proton pump inhibitors and H2-receptor blockers.
• Educate the patient about possible side effects that may make him/her stop taking the medications.

4) Always remember that good communication with the patient improves disease management.

Source: Zoomout-Ph

by

Dr.Akshaya Srikanth

Pharm.D

Hyderabad, India

Types of Pneumonia

Aspiration Pneumonia:
Aspiration Pneumonia results when food, drink, vomit, secretions or other foreign material is inhaled and causes an inflammatory response in the lungs and bronchial tubes.
Aspiration Pneumonia occurs predominantly in the right lung because its total capacity is greater than that of the left lung .

Atypical Pneumonia:
This term refers of Pneumonia caused by the following bacteria: Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae.
Atypical pneumonia is caused by bacteria and does not respond to the normal antibiotics used for treatment.

Bacterial Pneumonia:
Bacterial Pneumonia occurs when pneumonia-causing bacteria masses and multiplies in the lungs. The alveoli become inflamed and pus is produced, which spreads around the lungs. The bacteria that caused Bacterial Pneumonia are: streptococcus pneumonia, hemophilus influenza, legionella pneumophilia and staphylococcus aureus.

Bronchial Pneumonia:
Bronchopneumonia is “a descending infection starting around the bronchi and bronchioles”. The terminal bronchioles become blocked with exudates and form consolidated patches. This results in atelectasis.

Community-acquired Pneumonia:
This means the infection was acquired at home. With this type of pneumonia the most common cause is 'Streptococcus Pneumonia' 

Hospital-acquired Pneumonia:
Patients develop features after being in hospital for 24 hours or longer. 

Infectious agent is often Gram-negative bacteria such as 'Escherichia coli or Klebsiella'

Mycoplasmal Pneumonia: (also known as 'walking pneumonia')
It is similar to bacterial pneumonia, whereby the mycoplasmas proliferate and spread - causing infection.

Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia:
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is the result of a fungal infection in the lungs caused by the Pneumocystis carinii fungus.
This fungus does not cause illness in healthy individuals, but rather in those with a weakened immune system.

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP):
This type of pneumonia usually occurs two days after a hospitalised patient has been intubated and been receiving mechanical ventilation.
This is especially a life-threatening infection as patients who require mechanical support are already critically ill.

Viral Pneumonia:
Viral Pneumonia is believed to be the cause of half of all pneumonias. The viruses invade the lungs and then multiply- causing inflammation

by

Dr.Akshaya Srikanth,

Pharm.D India