Discussion Board
Case Study
Anna Sanchez, a 21-year-old nursing student, comes to her nurse practitioner in December with a 5-week history of itchy eyes and nasal congestion with watery nasal discharge. She also complains of a "tickling" cough, especially at night, and she has had episodes of repetitive sneezing. She gets frequent "colds" every spring and fall.
Physical Examination
1. Vital Signs: Afebrile; respiratory rate, pulse, and blood pressure all normal
2. Skin: Flaking erythematous rash on the flexor surfaces of both arms
3. Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat: Tender over maxillary sinuses; sclera red and slightly swollen with frequent tearing; outer nares with red irritated skin; internal nares with red, boggy, moist mucosa and one medium-sized polyp on each side; pharynx slightly erythematous with clear postnasal drainage (NOTE: Nasal polyps are common in allergic rhinitis. They are edematous protrusions of the mucosa that are infiltrated with neutrophils, eosinophils, and plasma cells.)
4. Lungs: Clear to auscultation and percussion
Initial Post: Answer the following questions about Anna Sanchez and her condition.
• What evidence suggests that Anna does not have an acute severe infection?
• If Anna has allergic rhinitis, what type of hypersensitivity reaction is involved?
• A skin test indicates that Anna is allergic to cat dander. Two months ago, Anna's roommate brought home a cat. Why didn't Anna's symptoms start when the cat entered the household, rather than 3 weeks later?
• What class of antibodies bind to the mast cells?
• What physiological mechanisms caused the redness of Anna's nasal mucosa?
• What mechanisms caused Anna's clear postnasal drainage?
Go back into your own initial post.
1. Identify what diagnostic testing or additional information you might need to establish a diagnosis.
2. Identify what you believe is the correct diagnosis for the patient in the case study with the rationale for your response.
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations