Leprosy

Tuberculosis (TB), is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Pulmonary TB is spread through these airborne bacteria. Symptoms are persistent cough, fever, and weight loss. It is a growing and serious public health, social, and economic problem with approximately 8 million cases world wide each year. 95% of the cases are in developing countries but more are occurring in crowded urban settings in developed countries recently, too. Treatments are effective and readily available in developed countries, however, poor access to health care and inadequate health care coverage along with a reluctance to report suspected TB due to stigma, immigration issues, and misunderstanding of current therapy, has made it more and more difficult to identify, treat, and prevent.

Cure rates can be low because of interrupted treatment, since the course of treatment is a long 6-8 months of medication therapy until the patient is verified as negative by sputum testing. Sputum checks are done at about two month intervals.

It is critical that treatment is not interrupted to prevent development of drug-resistant TB which is far more difficult and costly to treat. For the patient, remembering to take the drugs for 6 to 8 months can be a problem. Education by nursing professionals is a key intervention.

To answer the question about nursing interventionsin this condition, an assumption will be made that the question is about pulmonary TB (TB can affect other areas of the body) and that the setting is outpatient or home care.

Each Nursing Plan of Care must be individualized to a specific patient's needs. Ethnic, social, and economic differences, as well as education and living conditions are just some of the variables that play a role in the approach to care.

Some common Nursing Diagnoses and interventions for this condition would be:

Risk for infection

* Monitor sputum for changes indicating infection * Monitor vital signs * Teach patient and family the purpose and techniques for infection control such as hand washing, patient covering mouth when coughs, maintaining isolation if necessary * Teach patient the purpose, importance and how to take medications as prescribed consistently over the long term therapy

Deficient knowledge

* Determine who will be the learner, patient or family * Assess ability to learn * Identify any existing misconceptions about the material to learn * Assist the learner to integrate the information into daily life * Give clear thorough explanations and demonstrations Noncompliance

* Determine if there has been past noncompliance and the reasons * Ask to see prescription drugs periodically and count the remaining pills * If economics are a reason for noncompliance, explore community resources * Increase the amount of supervision provided, follow up visits, phone calls, etc. Ineffective therapeutic regimen management

* Assess prior efforts to follow regimen * Assess patient's perceptions of their health problem * Assess other factors that may affect success in a negative way * Inform patient of the benefits of conforming with the regimen * Concentrate on the behaviors that will make the most difference to the therapeutic effect * Include family, support system in teachings and explanations * Instruct patient on the importance of ordering refills of medications several days ahead of running out. Activity intolerance

* Assess patient's level of mobility * Observe and document response to activity * Assess emotional response to change in physical status * Anticipate patient's needs to accommodate * Teach energy conservation techniques * Refer to community resources as needed Ineffective airway clearance

* Auscultate lungs for wheezing, decreased breath sounds, coarse sounds * Use universal precautions if secretions are purulent even before culture reports

* Assess cough for effectiveness and productivity * Note sputum amount, color, odor, consistency * Send sputum specimens for culture as prescribed or prn * Institute appropriate isolation precautions if cultures are positive * Use humidity to help losen sputum * Administer medications, noting effectiveness and side effects * Teach effective deep breathing and coughing techniques Ineffective health maintenance * Assess patient's knowledge of health maintenance behaviors * Assess to what degree environmental, social, intrafamilial disruptions, or changes have correlated with poor health behaviors * Determine patient's motives for failing to report symptoms reflecting changes in health status * Assess whether economic problems present a barrier to maintaining health behaviors * Provide patient with a means to contact health care providers * Involve family and friends in health planning conferences

There are over a dozen of different types of leukemia with different causations.. most of them nonviral. So generally, the answer is no. However, one form is believed to have a viral cause.

While leukemia is not standardly a sexually transmissible disease, Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is believed to be caused by HTLV-1 virus. "Transmission of HTLV-1 is believed to occur from mother to child; by sexual contact; and through exposure to contaminated blood, either through blood transfusion or sharing of contaminated needles."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_T-cell_leukemia/lymphoma

http://www.healthcommunities.com/leukemia/types.shtml
Leukemia isn't a type of STI.

In the King James version

Yes,

The word leprosy is mentioned 39 times

The word leper is mentioned 17 times

The word lepers is mentioned 6 times

The word leprous is mentioned 6 times

For (Least severe) Tuberculoid Leprosy:

• First you may have one flat, white patch with slightly raised red edges.
• More patches appear, first looking red and inflamed before growing and turning white in the center
• Edges of patches are uneven and asymmetrical.
• The patches have a loss in sensation, feeling numb or not feeling anything at all. That is the nerve damage inside of the tissue.
• Patches are limited to certain areas

For (Most severe) Lepromatous Leprosy:

• Affects more areas, including face, eyes, nose, and testicles.
• Enlarged peripheral nerves (outer nerves, those of the limbs).
• Skin lesions can be larger and more inflamed.
• Can cause deformation if left for long periods without being treated.

Damage is IRREVERSIBLE!!! There are other forms of leprosy that are a mix of these two types or a more severe version of Tuberculoid leprosy. Leprosy can be easily mistaken for other diseases and infections. If it does not go away and you are concerned you may have leprosy, seek a dermatologist immediately.

At the same time, leprosy is a very rare disease and is very hard to catch. Lepromatous Leprosy is most contagious. It is believed to be spread through droplets from oral and nasal cavities, and not through sexual contact or pregnancy. The incubation period for leprosy is 1-7 years, meaning that symptoms will not be present during that time. Many people have been in close contact with or worked in leper colonies and never caught the disease. It is treatable with antibiotics, regimens lasting anywhere from 6-24 months depending on severity of the leprosy.

It is caused by a bacteria (a rod-shaped bacillus) called Mycobacterium leprae and is spread by airborne droplets such as when someone coughs or sneezes. It appears possible that humans can contract the disease from armadillos as well.

Leprosy (Hansen's disease) primarily attacks nerve cells, although the external skin lesions are the defining symptom. Besides humans, the other mammals that can contract leprosy are the chimpanzee, some monkey species, and the armadillo.