Nursing Assessment, Management and Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases
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COURSE OVERVIEW Almost 4% of the world’s population is affected by one of more than 80 different auto- immune diseases. In the United States (US), as many as 50 million Americans are living with an autoimmune disease, at a cost of $86 billion a year (National Stem Cell Foun- dation [NSCF], 2021). This education program provides information on autoimmune diseases with the pur- pose of adding to the nurse’s ability to recognize, assess, and facilitate treatment of such diseases.
LEARNING OUTCOMES ● Discuss the incidence and prevalence of common autoimmune diseases. ● Describe the pathophysiology of common autoimmune diseases. ● Initiate appropriate assessment of patients affected by common autoimmune diseases. INTRODUCTION Autoimmune diseases are typically chronic conditions that often present with non-specific symptoms. Therefore, it may be a good deal of time before patients are diagnosed and properly treated. Liv- ing with a chronic condition can be bur- densome as providers and patients work together to find the optimal treatment and promote the ideal quality of life. As autoimmune conditions can present dif- ferently and patients may react in various ways to medication options, treatment plans vary from patient to patient. This education program provides information on autoimmune diseases with the pur- pose of adding to the nurse’s ability to recognize, assess, and facilitate treatment of such diseases. INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE An estimated four percent of the world’s population is affected by one of more than 80 different autoimmune diseases. In the United States, autoimmune diseases are
● Explain diagnosis and treatment options for common autoimmune diseases. ● Identify nursing interventions important
to the care of patients living with common autoimmune diseases.
the third most common cause of chronic illness. The National Institutes for Health (NIH) reports that autoimmune diseases affect between five and eight percent of the population. The prevalence of auto- immune diseases is increasing. Howev- er, the reason for this increase is not yet known (NSCF, 2021). About 50 million Americans are living with an autoimmune disease at a cost of $86 billion a year. Autoimmune diseases affect women three times as often as men. In fact, the Office of Research on Wom - en’s Health at the NIH has named auto- immunity a major women’s health issue. These types of diseases are the fourth largest cause of disability in women in the US and they are the eighth leading cause of death for women between the ages of 15 and 64 (NSCF, 2021). COMMON AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES An autoimmune disease develops when the body’s immune system mis- takes its own healthy tissues as foreign
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