WK4Assgn Gastroentritis.docx (1) Nurs-6521 Gastroentritis Walden University Nurs-6521:

WK4Assgn Gastroentritis.docx (1)  Nurs-6521  Gastroentritis  Walden University  Nurs-6521: Advanced Pharmacology  Introduction  The patient has presented experiencing diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. He has a history of drug use and possible Hepatitis C. He is on Synthroid, nifedipine, and prednisone. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss the cause of the patients symptoms and treatment course.  Acute Gastroenteritis  Acute gastroenteritis (AG) is stomach and intestine inflammation and remains one of the most common diseases in humans worldwide (Oude Munnink & van der Hoek, 2016). Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause AG and symptoms include sudden diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. The disease is highly contagious, especially for immune-compromised individuals. Glucocorticoids increase the risk of morbidity from infection (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021).  The patient is on prednisone, which increases his chance of opportunistic viral infections. The hepatitis C infection further increases the patients viral load making the body weaker and susceptible to infections.  Drug Therapy   Priority revolves around supportive care and identification of the cause. Glucocorticoids (prednisone) may need to be gradually withdrawn unless they are absolutely required as they exacerbate infection (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021). Vomiting and diarrhea could lead to life-threatening dehydration and electrolyte derangement ( Desselberger, 2017). Since the patient may not tolerate oral intake, the intravenous (IV) route will be