Nursing Assessment, Management and Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases
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● Age : Although lupus is diagnosed in all age groups, it is most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45. ● Race : Lupus is more common in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. ● Environmental factors: Although not specifically identified, environmental factors such as the amount of sunlight a person is exposed to, medications taken, stress, and viral infections are being investigated as contributing to the development of lupus. ● Smoking : A history of smoking may also increase risk of lupus. Types of lupus Although systemic lupus erythematosus is the most common type of lupus, there are several additional types. These include the following (Cleveland Clinic, 2021): ● Cutaneous lupus erythematosus : This type of lupus affects the skin. It is characterized by various skin issues such as photosensitivity and rashes. Hair loss may also occur. ● Drug-induced lupus : Certain medications may cause lupus. Rather than being a chronic disease, drug- induced lupus is typically temporary. Usually, this type of lupus resolves after the medication is discontinued. However, in rare instances, symptoms continue even after the medications are stopped. ● Neonatal lupus : Neonatal lupus is quite rare. When it does occur, it is found in infants at birth. Infants born with neonatal lupus have antibodies that were passed to them from their mothers, who either had lupus at the time of pregnancy or developed the disease later in life.
| NURSING CONSIDERATION
The Lupus Foundation of America es- timates that 1.5 million Americans are living with a form of lupus (Nation- al Resource Center on Lupus, 2021). Nurses must support ongoing lupus research and be alert to the signs and symptoms that suggest the disease. Lupus can affect anyone. It is diag- nosed in women, men, children, and even newborns. It is much more common in women than in men. About 90% of diag- nosed cases of lupus are women of repro- ductive age. Women are often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 44. Lupus is also more prominent in certain ethnici- ties including African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women com- pared to Caucasian women (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). Pathophysiology The exact etiology of lupus is unknown. However, experts believe that the pri- mary cause is autoimmunity, along with environmental, hormonal, genetic, and (possibly) viral factors. In autoimmune diseases, the body produces antibodies against its own cells. A significant factor in the pathophysiology of lupus is the production of antibodies that attack vari- ous tissues of the body. These include red blood cells (RBCs), neutrophils, platelets, lymphocytes, or almost any organ or tis- sue (Rebar et al., 2019). Risk factors The majority of people with lupus have a genetic predisposition for the disease (Rebar et al., 2019). Additional risk factors include the following (Cleveland Clinic, 2021; Mayo Clinic, 2021a): ● Sex : Lupus is more common in females.
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