NUR2300 Evidence Based Nursing Practice

Pet allergies are one of the most prevalent allergic reactions affecting 15 to 20% of the world population. Hanania et al. (2013) mentions that people do not visit their healthcare professionals because they deny the fact that pets are responsible for their allergic responses. Genetics plays an important role in the pathophysiology as those individuals are likely to face such allergies if their family members or parents are affected with such allergies (Possa et al. 2013).

 

The pathophysiology of pet allergies include the foreign substance such as dust, mold or pet dander which the human immune system determines as a threat to human body. Therefore, against these antigens or foreign proteins, human body produces antibodies, which targets these antigens (Akdis et al. 2013). Therefore upon inhalation of these pet dander, human immune system responds to it by increasing the inflammatory responses, even in the nasal passages or lungs. Prolonged similar responses initiates asthmatic responses due to increased airway inflammation. This is the way, pet allergy affects people by increasing the allergic reaction and initiating the asthmatic inflammatory reaction (Wright and Phipatanakul , 2014).  

The key messages identified from the literature search was associated with the nursing intervention and health condition management strategies using which the asthmatic allergic reaction could be managed.  As per Wright and Phipatanakul (2014), the first intervention will be managing the emerged allergic and asthmatic condition of the patient. For this purpose, she will be provided with Flonase, which is a decongestant spray used to remove the congestion of nasal cavity and using anti-allergic medications to lower the allergic inflammation. 

 

The second intervention will be providing the patient with educational session including cleaning, pet management and maintenance practices as these are the primary techniques while managing asthmatic condition of patient living with pets. as per Burns (2012) it will help to make the patient aware of the pet and their related allergens and they will be able to manage such condition without any ailment.  the third intervention will be application of HEPA or High Efficiency particulate Air filters as Kneen et al. (2012) determines that these filters decreases the rate of allergens in the air by forcing through these filters that traps the air within them and makes the air free from dust mites and other allergens.  

As the patient is affected with pet related allergies, there is a set of recommendations related to clinical aspect, patient education and helathcare program and policies should be provided in this context.  Clinical aspect: While receiving care whether in-patient or out-patient, the patient should be kept away from the cat for a month and it should be determined that the cat is restricted to a room and not spreading its dander in other rooms or places (Eichenfield et al. 2014). 

 

The entire care process should be conducted in a room with high efficiency particulate air filters as presence of little amount of allergen can lead the patient affected with asthmatic attack again (Cicardi et al. 2012). 

 

HealthCare professionals should provide timely and efficient care to the patient as in such allergic condition, patient requires complete focus and assistance. 

Providing patient a detailed counselling and educational session about management of pets, their restrictions, their limitations and their ability to harm their health can make the patient aware of the allergens present in their home and they can take preventive measures such as cleaning the pets to remove the molds present on their body or limit the pet in a room so that allergens do not spread (Bro?ek et al. 2017).  Further, they can use filter with high efficiency so that all the allergens present on the room could be cleaned properly.  

Implementation of the all these nursing management will include theories of family centered and patient centered care. as the patient is 10 years old and her cognitive ability to take decision of her health is not appropriate, her parents will be included in the care starting from intervention to discharge and in this course, they will be provided with educational session regarding pet allergies and preventive home remedies so that after discharge they can control their daughter’s health condition (Eichenfield et al. 2014). 

 

Secondly, they will be provided with interventions of diet and nutrition so that emergence of allergic inflammation could be relieved in any adverse condition. One such intervention is nasal lavage using which the nasal cavity congestion is removed 9 Wheatley and Togias, 2015).   Finally, the entire family will be asked to take their pet for monthly cleaning and vaccination to a veterinary professional so that potential health consequences due to that cat could be avoided (Cicardi et al. 2012).  

Akdis, C. A., Bachert, C., Cingi, C., Dykewicz, M. S., Hellings, P. W., Naclerio, R. M., … and Ledford, D. 2013. Endotypes and phenotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis: a PRACTALL document of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

 

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 131(6), 1479-1490. Bro?ek, J. L., Bousquet, J., Agache, I., Agarwal, A., Bachert, C., Bosnic-Anticevich, S., … and de Sousa, J. C. 2017. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines—2016 revision. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 140(4), 950-958.

 

Burns, D. 2012. Management of patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis. Nursing Standard (through 2013), 26(32), 41. Cicardi, M., Bork, K., Caballero, T., Craig, T., Li, H. H., Longhurst, H., … and HAWK (Hereditary Angioedema International Working Group). 2012. Evidence?based recommendations for the therapeutic management of angioedema owing to hereditary C1 inhibitor deficiency: consensus report of an International Working Group.

 

Allergy, 67(2), 147-157. Eichenfield, L. F., Tom, W. L., Chamlin, S. L., Feldman, S. R., Hanifin, J. M., Simpson, E. L., … and Cordoro, K. M. 2014. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis: section 1. Diagnosis and assessment of atopic dermatitis. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 70(2), 338-351.

 

Hanania, N. A., Wenzel, S., Rosén, K., Hsieh, H. J., Mosesova, S., Choy, D. F., … and Busse, W. 2013. Exploring the effects of omalizumab in allergic asthma: an analysis of biomarkers in the EXTRA study. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 187(8), 804-811.

 

Kneen, R., Michael, B. D., Menson, E., Mehta, B., Easton, A., Hemingway, C., … and Solomon, T. 2012. Management of suspected viral encephalitis in children–Association of British Neurologists and British Paediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infection Group national guidelines. Journal of Infection, 64(5), 449-477.

 

Possa, S. S., Leick, E. A., Prado, C. M., Martins, M. A., and Tibério, I. F. L. C. 2013. Eosinophilic inflammation in allergic asthma. Frontiers in pharmacology, 4, 46. Wheatley, L. M., and Togias, A. 2015.

 

Allergic rhinitis. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(5), 456-463. Wright, L. S., and Phipatanakul, W. 2014. Environmental remediation in the treatment of allergy and asthma: latest updates. Current allergy and asthma reports, 14(3), 419.