Running Head: POST OPERATION RESPIRATORY INFECTION 1

Post-Infection Respiratory Infection

Name

Institution
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Introduction.

Despite the age being a major risk factor for the knee osteoarthritis, young people can

still get it. Apart from the hereditary cause, it can also emerge from infection or injury and

sometimes be overweight. This particular discussion seeks to investigate the case of John Grant,

a 63-year-old man who suffered a respiratory infection after undergoing surgery. The patient has

had a history of other diseases that are pronged in natures such as Diabetes Type two and

Depression. The discussion will further look at how the illness that John has suffered as a post

operation result will be treated, and a plan for ensuring that the treatment is successful will be put

across as well. All factors will be considered ranging from the patient history of previous

prolonged illnesses, his family members and physical needs such as healthy diet due to his old

age.

Overview of the patient

The patient is the weak 63-year-old man who had his legs amputated through an

operation due to suffering from bilateral knee osteoarthritis that led to his right knee undergoes

surgery to replace it wholly. John who is the patient is a widower and lives with his eldest

daughter. Due to the surgery, John has reduced his working hours from 6 days to 2 days. John has

acquired a post operation illness of a respiratory infection known as pneumonia. According to the

patient, he feels overly tired, has a high temperature, has a cough that brings out thick yellow,

green sputum and experiences hardships when breathing. Further, John claims that his chain is

very painful and feels confusion due to the pain he feels from the sickness which attributed to his

old According to him, a few days after the surgery he woke all sweaty feeling pain in his back

that felts like a tight band across his back. When coughing he feels as if his lungs will be
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coughed out and has a difficulty when breathing. It is a result of this that he decided to come to

the hospital to seek medical assistance. As the physiotherapist, I listened to his chest with a

stethoscope and felt that his chest produced sounds of new crackles and wheezes. I carried an x-

ray to his chest, and the saw the infection. To be certain that the patient had contracted a post

operation respiratory disease (Belmont et al., 2014).

There were other relevant medical history records associated with John that may have

propelled the chances of him contracting the infection. These include the history of angina,

hypertension. Type two diabetes, hyperlipidemia as well as depression. When a person suffers

from this kind of illnesses, chis immunity is lowered hence creating room for vices such as the

one that causes pneumonia to penetrate through. Some of the social factors such as being lonely

and a widower are what contributed to depression. The two most important risk factors that led to

him contracting a respiratory illness is because of his old age (CruzAlmeida et al., 2013).

Research shows that old people are old and their immunity is low hence room to be attacked by

diseases. The fact that he suffers from Type two Diabetes and hypertension means that he is on

steroids that he has to take every day. The steroids affect the cells of a person hence the creation

of room to be attacked by bacteria or virus related illnesses such as respiratory infections

(Namba. Inacio, & Paxton, 2013). Further, the anesthetics that are used during surgery affected

the normal movement of phlegm in and out of the lungs. This also explains why a patient is

prone to suffer respiratory infections after surgery (Rahman et al., 2013).

The comprehensive assessment that was taken was aimed at describing in detail the

clients medical, physical and psychosocial conditions as well as needs. The complete tests were

done that relate to the customers state, included a recording of Johns health history, health

status and other health-related needs such as home care and allergies to medication. The two risk
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assessment test done included, test for Tuberculosis which is a dangerous disease and falls within

the same category of chest infections. The other Risk assessment tests carried out on John

included assessing the level of confusion that he is experiencing. The aim was to determine if

this confusion was severe and if it could be a pose a risk of Dementia for the patient.

Additionally, Johns status and needs relating to legal needs such as health care proxy and

parenting needs as well as transportation due to the surgery conducted and infection occurred

was done. The reason for choosing this assignment for John is that proper medical care, as well

as nursing at home, should be ensured to enhance quick recovery. Additionally, the

comprehensive assessment that was performed on John was done over time to avoid dull one

sitting with the patient. The information was gathered from John himself so that a self-report

with a clients release could be recorded.

The nursing care plan for the patient

As a physiotherapist, an appropriate program that will aid in treating the chest infection

suffered by John has to be put in place. The plan will be as follows, pain killers that will help in

controlling the pain John feels when he will be given to him. The fact the John is coughing with

the production of sputum he will be put on a drip to thin the mucus and aid in the ease of spitting

it out. The drip will be used as a dehydration tool since one of the effects of Pneumonia is

dehydration. Additionally, John will be taught how to cough and breathe more efficiently so that

he can be able to keep the chest clear. Further, the patient will be encouraged to take his

medication on a daily basis until the dose is fully administered so that the infection can be

completely treated. The pain relief medication will be adjusted as suitable as possible so as to

ensure that Johns pain is relieved as much as possible. The purpose of this administration of
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medication is that it will enable John to breathe deeply and be able to cough with ease. Further,

the family members of the patients, especially the daughter will be advised on how to care for the

old men when he is at home so that the medication being administered can be effective.

Additionally, the patient will be informed of the dangers that may prolong the infection, such as

smoking or being in contact with people who are smoking and exposing himself to cold.

Additionally, John has to take the prescribed antibiotics that will enable clearing of the chest

infection. These activities will be held within five days whereby a follow-up check-up will be

done by John to confirm he had some improvement and whether the medication was working

(Shales, 2000).

In addition to the above treatment plan, the treatment plan of John should constitute of a

combination of various aspects. Weight loss is an important strategy (Kon et al., 2012). It is

important to lose even a small amount of weight because it significantly contributes to reducing

knee pain from osteoarthritis. The patient will be subject to regular exercises aimed at

strengthening the muscles neighboring the knee to decrease pain and make the joint more stable.

Joint flexibility and mobility can be well achieved via stretching exercises (Messier et al., 2013).

Evaluation of care

The postoperative care of knee osteoarthritis is offered to a patient after the surgical

process and therefore demands close attention to assess the progress. It is the responsibility of the

nurse, therefore, to ensure that the patient has clear airway without any obstruction that might

originate from any foreign particle in the body. Activities such as vomiting are likely to give rise

to obstructors, and therefore correct positioning should be maintained at all times (Beswick et al.,

2012). The respiration pattern should be as per the recommendation as well as lung expansion
POST OPERATION RESPIRATORY INFECTION 6

occurring at the intercostal muscle lifting from upward and outward. The caregiver ought to

protect the patient from any harm as well as keenly observing the patient to detect any

complications out of which appropriate remedial action is offered. The cardiac, as well as the

respiratory function, need to be monitored to ensure that they are working as required.

Some patient is offered the postoperative care from home. In this particular case, the patient

should be well directed on how he should administer the prescribed drugs as well as how to

identify any complication likely to be experienced in the process of healing (Kerkhoffs et al.,

2012). Since the operation renders the patient weak, a caregiver should be assigned the

responsibility of offering support especially during movements (Brown 2013). The patient

should self-assess the breathing patterns as well as any bleeding resulting from incised wound.

Whenever such a condition is identified, the patient should seek immediate medical attention.

The nurse, therefore, needs to make follow-ups to the patient receiving home-based post-

operative care (Fernandes et al., 2013).

Conclusion

Surgery is usually the last option after all other treatment options for knee osteoarthritis have

failed to yield required results. Surgery brings about the relief to the patients suffering from OA.

Apart from surgery, extra activities aimed at reducing weightloss, ingestion of nutritional

supplements, exercise and physical therapy are essential for enhancing complete healing of the

patient with post-operative infections.

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