Dealing with Intravenous Therapy for Children and Elderly with Influenza

Comparative Essay
Name
Course
Instructor
Date

Checking for vital signs and symptoms of oxygenation in both children and elderly patients is imperative to utilising the appropriate regimen. Nursing assessment of the respiratory rate, blood pressure, pulse and temperature are the main objective measures in nursing. In Australia and New Zealand, the use of oxygenation was found to be effective in managing the H1N1 epidemic especially for patients who had severe respiratory related complications, underlying the importance of intervention (Irish Medical Times, 2009). Secondary bacterial infections increase mortality and hospitalization for H1N1 patients which is a form of influenza A (Yan et al., 2013). Thus, it is critical to manage influenza by reducing the effects of bacterial infections and flu. This is a comparative essay on using intravenous therapy and monitoring vital signs in an elderly patient in comparison to a child patient with influenza A and secondary bacteria infection.
Reliability and sensitivity of age affect the results of cardio vascular vital signs for Jane and Mr. Stevens. As people age, there is increased arterial wall stiffness which increases the risk of hypertension and atherosclerosis. Similarly, the arterial wall is less reliable because of structural changes that occur with advancing age. Mr. Stevens had a corresponding BP of 140/ 85 mmhg lying down and pulse of 96/ beats/ minute. On the other hand, Jane has a pulse of 124 beats/ minute. According to Marsden (2006), it is plausible that respiratory influenza is one of the infections that cause inflammation of the vasculature.
In both patients, there is risk for re-infection in the influenza season, as this is associated with high influenza activity. Hence, there is a need to improve monitoring of the vital signs and oxygenation as the season is accompanied with higher hospitalization rates. For the elderly, surveillance systems are necessary as the condition also increases risk of death than the general population. Equally, children with flu are at a high risk of hospitalization and death, as influenza is more deadly than common cold, especially children with weakened immune systems. Influenza A has more severe symptoms than B, with both being contagious, and older people being most at risk (Gould, 2011).
In assessing the vital signs, with regards to the respiratory system it is necessary to take into account the differences in the shape of the diaphragm, the chest wall as well as the lungs. With the onset of old age there are damages to the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems and subsequent DNA damage. For Mr. Stevens there is decreased responsiveness to mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors in the lungs regardless of whether there is influenza (Chester & Rudolph, 2011). Mr. Stevens has regular respiration of 28 breathes per minute, and Jane has a similar respiration at 30 breathes per minute.
Another vital sign that shows varying changes between children and the elderly on the onset of influenza A is temperature influenced by the immune and thermoregulatory systems. The thermoregulatory system is regulated in cases of infection and the rise in the core temperature is the thermal impact on immune cells (Cannon, 2013). The thermoregulatory system of older people results to lower core body temperatures than younger adult people. Both Mr. Stevens and Jane had temperatures of 37.8C, and hence there is a cause for concern that the two patients might develop complications from the flue symptoms if the flu is not adequately managed in relation to the developmental stage of the patients. The temperature is above normal in both patients, and though not high, monitoring temperatures indicates whether there may be other underlying causes of fever including the bacterial infections.
Influenza is contagious and particularly severe during the cold seasons, and though both patients were infected with strain A of the virus, there are more complications for adults from this strain. Many times, the blood oxygen levels are insufficient and this increases the risk of mortality. Mr. Stevens had He has intravenous therapy 4% dextrose / 1/5thsaline running for rehydration and to delivery intravenous antibiotic, and oxygen 2 litres per minute delivered by nasal prongs. On the other hand, Jane was giv...