Assignment task:
Describe the specific pathophysiological processes in SLE that lead to the manifestations observed in your assigned body system. How does SLE affect your assigned body system?
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects the pulmonary system mainly through inflammation. Autoantibodies and immune complexes attack lung tissue, causing pleuritis, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), and pulmonary hypertension (Shin et al., 2022). Symptoms of pleuritis include acute chest aches and labored breathing. For pulmonary system, scarring and inflammation from ILD induce lung rigidity, which impairs gas exchange.
Discuss the symptoms and clinical manifestations of SLE on your assigned body system. How do these symptoms impact the client's function and quality of life? Can changes in your assigned body system affect or be affected by other body systems in clients with SLE?
Cough, dyspnea, chest pain, and weariness are SLE pulmonary symptoms. These symptoms limit mobility and lower the client's quality of life, making walking or stair climbing difficult (Depascale et al., 2021). Interstitial lung illness can cause fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance, like chronic hypoxia. Pulmonary changes can be linked to cardiovascular stress in right-sided heart failure patients with pulmonary hypertension. If only the renal, cardiovascular, and immune systems are inflamed, pulmonary changes can increase systemic inflammation. This reciprocal body structure activation worsens SLE treatment.
Discuss the diagnostic tests used to diagnose SLE-related complications in your body system. What challenges are associated with diagnosing SLE if only looking at your assigned body system?
Imaging and functional testing are needed to diagnose pulmonary involvement in SLE. High-resolution Computed Tomography (CT) scans or chest X-rays are needed to confirm chest opacities, pleural effusion, or lung fibrosis in suspected interstitial lung disease. Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) of lung volume and diffusing capacity can also confirm interstitial lung disease (Zamboti et al., 2021). Diagnosing SLE through the pulmonary system is quite challenging since its symptoms are very much related to asthma.
Explore the current treatments for managing SLE symptoms associated with your assigned body system. What are the goals of these treatments, and how effective are they in mitigating the impact of SLE on the body? Looking for Assignment Help?
SLE pulmonary manifestations require inflammation control, lung tissue preservation, and symptom suppression. Corticosteroids like prednisone are anti-inflammatory. Medications like mycophenolate mofetil and azathioprine weaken the immune system. Sildenafil and other vasodilators treat pulmonary hypertension. Continuous oxygen supply is also sometimes required for chronic hypoxic conditions (Agarwal et al., 2021). The main goal of this medicines is to manage the disease and slow its progression but cannot repair the damage. They are effective in a way they protect lung function and minimize SLE's health impacts.
References:
Agarwal, T., Kazemi, S., Costantini, M., Perfeito, F., Correia, C. R., Gaspar, V., Montazeri, L., De Maria, C., Mano, J. F., Vosough, M., Makvandi, P., & Maiti, T. K. (2021). Oxygen releasing materials: Towards addressing the hypoxia-related issues in tissue engineering. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 122, 111896.
Depascale, R., Del Frate, G., Gasparotto, M., Manfrè, V., Gatto, M., Iaccarino, L., Quartuccio, L., De Vita, S., & Doria, A. (2021). Diagnosis and management of lung involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome: A literature review. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, 13, 1-24.
Shin, J. I., Lee, K. H., Park, S., Yang, J. W., Kim, H. J., Song, K., Lee, S., Na, H., Jang, Y. J., Nam, J. Y., Kim, S., Lee, C., Hong, C., Kim, C., Kim, M., Choi, U., Seo, J., Jin, H., Yi, B., & Jeong, S. J. (2022). Systemic lupus erythematosus and lung involvement: A comprehensive review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(22), 6714.
Zamboti, C. L., Cristina, A., Garcia, T., Krinski, G. G., Bertin, L. D., Almeida, S., Pimpão, H. A., Fujisawa, D. S., Ribeiro, M. A., Pitta, F., & Camillo, C. A. (2021). Functional performance tests in interstitial lung disease: Impairment and measurement properties. Respiratory Medicine, 184, 106413.