NU606 Week 3 Case Study

Mr. A and Mr. B come to your office with their child, who is 2 years old. You are told that the
child ate peanuts over the weekend and then her mouth became swollen and there was a rash.
It wasn’t severe, so they did not seek care at that time, but they are concerned about a peanut
allergy. Mr. A states that they were careful about ensuring that she was not exposed to peanuts
as a baby. Mr. B states that he does believe she has had them one other time though. Both are
concerned about the allergy, but report that they are relieved that the reaction is so minor
because she only had some slight swelling and a rash.
1. Explain to Mr. A and Mr. B “how an allergy works.” In other words, explain to your
patients the pathophysiology of an IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity reaction. Use
terms that they can understand. Include why the child might have had peanuts one
other time but now is experiencing a reaction.
2. Mr. A and Mr. B are relieved that her reaction was minor. Does this mean that she
cannot ever develop anaphylaxis? Explain your answer using the pathophysiological
process of how anaphylaxis occurs.
3. For each of the following symptoms in anaphylaxis, state what is happening in the body
to lead to the symptom:
a. Redness
b. Swelling
c. Itching
d. Decreased blood pressure
e. Difficulty breathing
4. INVESTIGATE: A common, newer treatment for food and drug allergies is desensitization
therapy. If the child in this example were to use this therapy, after it was completed
successfully, she would be able to eat peanuts without reaction. Please explain what this
treatment is and how it works.

Use the following case to answer questions 5–10.
Ms. C is a 56-year-old woman who comes in for HIV testing. She seems nervous and isn’t
outright sharing why she is requesting this particular testing, but states “I think I have AIDS.”
She is providing little history on her own. She is also asking a lot of questions about the “signs
you have HIV” and “what HIV does to your body.”
5. In this case, you will need to be careful with what questions you ask the patient to
obtain relevant history. When someone comes in for this testing, it is essential to not
only find out if they are positive or negative, but to also be able to modify their risks for
this or other infections. Based on your knowledge of HIV, what questions will you ask
her to cover all of the common risks for this infection?

6. What is the mode of transmission of HIV, and how does this relate to the risk factors you
assessed in question 5?
7. Explain to the patient what the stages of HIV are and what signs and symptoms she
might experience.
8. Explain to the patient what is happening in the body with HIV. How is the virus
impacting the cells of the immune system, and what can this mean long-term?
9. Address the patient’s concern that “she thinks she has AIDS,” being sure to highlight the
difference between HIV and AIDS.
10. INVESTIGATE: What is the current data for HIV and AIDS in your area? Use local data if
possible; if local data is not available, use the data in the nearest city. What are some
initiatives in your area to address HIV?