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Lupus: A Patient Care Guide for Nurses and Other Health Professionals provides an overview of lupus erythematosus and the elements involved in caring for patients with this disease -- systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
The Lupus Guide is intended primarily for nurses and other health professionals who work on an ongoing basis with lupus patients. The guide also presents the tools these professionals need to provide the best care possible for this important group of patients. Many of these patients will be cared for in an outpatient setting, but the Lupus Guide also addresses the needs of hospitalized patients.
Outline:
Chapter 1: Lupus Erythematosus -- provides a general overview of the disease, including brief discussions of the diagnosis, treatment, medications, and psychosocial aspects. This chapter closes with a discussion of how these issues affect the way nurses and other health professionals provide care to lupus patients.
Chapter 2: Advances in Lupus Research -- summarizes the current understanding of the etiology of lupus and describes areas of ongoing research. Recent research advances have significantly increased the understanding of lupus, and, as current research efforts unfold, there is hope for new treatments, improvements in patients’ quality of life, and perhaps prevention of or cure for the disease.
Chapter 3: Laboratory Tests Used to Diagnose and Evaluate Lupus -- summarizes the main laboratory tests used to diagnose lupus and to monitor a patient’s condition. These assessments include blood tests, measurements of autoimmunity, and tests for kidney disease.
Chapter 4: : Care of the Lupus Patient -- gives a system-by-system overview of the most common lupus manifestations and suggests nursing interventions. Several other key issues are also discussed, including:
Chapter 5: : Medications Used to Treat Lupus -- covers the major categories of drugs currently used to control lupus symptoms: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
drugs, antimalarials, corticosteroids, immunosuppressives, and intravenous immunoglobulins. These medications can often be used successfully to treat lupus symptoms, but their potential side effects can present other problems. Chapter 5 discusses each category of medication, describes its mechanism of action and use in treating lupus, and reviews the potential side effects associated with it.
Chapter 6: Psychosocial Aspects of Lupus -- provides information on this critically important aspect of the disease. Because of the chronic, unpredictable, and evolving nature of lupus, patients often have to cope with serious emotional and psychosocial issues along with the physical dimensions of their illness. A good understanding of these issues will help nurses and other health professionals provide the empathetic and supportive care lupus patients need.
Chapter 7: Patient Information -- contains 20 short fact sheets covering a broad range of issues related to lupus. Nine of the fact sheets deal with lupus medications. These Patient Information Sheets are designed to help patients understand their disease and its symptoms and complications and to develop effective ways of living with and controlling lupus. Nurses and other health professionals will find the sheets helpful in their ongoing teaching efforts.
Chapter 8: Resources, Bibliography, and Index -- resources for further information on lupus, and an updated bibliography of the source materials used to develop the book.