Side effects of Corticosteroid to treat Addisons Disease Order Instructions: Initial Discussion Post:
Base your initial post on the scenario below, your readings and research on this topic.
Long-term use of corticosteroids can lead to physical and psychological side effects. Consider a 16-year-old female high-school student who is receiving treatment for Addison’s disease. The student confided in the school nurse (RN) that she is going to stop taking her prednisolone. She states she is depressed and embarrassed to be at school because of the side effects caused by the medication. After further review of the situation, the RN determines an interprofessional team should be convened to address the student’s needs.
After reflecting on the above scenario, discuss the following points (minimum of 250 words):
Describe three common side effects of corticosteroid treatment for Addison’s disease.
What factors make a diagnosis of Addison’s disease problematic for adolescents?
Discuss why an interprofessional team is appropriate for this situation, who should be included on the team and the role of the RN on the team.
Side effects of Corticosteroid to treat Addisons Disease Sample Answer
Side effects of using corticosteroid to treat Addison’s disease
Patients diagnosed with Addison’s disease need to take up their medication daily in order to replace the inadequate hormones. This normally helps the patients to live a normal life. Treatment mainly involves the use of corticosteroids (steroid therapy) to replace hormones lost and those not produced by the aldosterone. Although these medications are effective, corticosteroids are associated with the short term and long term side effects (Bentley, 2011)
The short-term side effects include stomach upset, increased irritability, weight gain due to water retention, increased fat on the face, unusual hair growth, high blood pressure, and risk of other infections. The long-term side effects include muscle weakness, brittle bones, and stunted growth among the children. To minimize such side effects, people taking the drugs should be watched carefully and if necessary, their doses reduced as low doses can be effective and have minimal side effects (In Arieti, 2014).
Factors that make it problematic for management Addison’s disease in adolescents
The process of diagnosing Adrenal insufficiency is usually a challenge. This is because most of the clinical manifestation are nonspecific, and tend to vary according to the underlying causative agent and extent of disease progression. It is important to make an early diagnosis as the disease can be life-threatening if not diagnosed early enough. The signs and symptoms and management of the diseases are the main challenges faced by the adolescents diagnosed with Addison’s disease. These include issues such as fatigue, malaise, and general muscle weakness. This negatively impacts on quality of life and their daily activities (Helms, 2015).
Importance of inter-professional team for treatment of Addison disease
Team-work in the management of Addison disease is important as it aids in improving patient quality of life, reduce mortality, improve communication, reduce errors, and increase patient satisfaction. In this case study, healthcare staff from the following disciplines should work together when delivering care to Addison’s patients. These include physicians, nurses, nutritionists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists. This will help in developing detailed case-related information, which facilitates the decision making processes (Bar, 2013).
Side effects of Corticosteroid to treat Addisons Disease References
Bar, R. S. (2013). Early diagnosis and treatment of endocrine disorders. Totowa, N.J: Humana Press.
Bentley, P. J. (2011). Endocrine pharmacology: Physiological basis and therapeutic applications. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press.
Helms, R. A. (2015). Textbook of Therapeutics: Drug and disease management. Philadelphia,
Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
In Arieti, S. (2014). American handbook of psychiatry. New York: Basic Books.
