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Today we will learning about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

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Follow the link below.

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You begin assessing your patient the moment you see them.  You can learn a lot about your patient's condition from that initial snapshot.

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Organize your assessment findings from the report and assessment into subjective and objective data.

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Work with your group to make a list of nursing diagnoses that apply to the patient in your case study.  Decide which would be a priority and write out a 3 part nursing diagnosis.  (NANDA label - Etiology - Defining characteristics)

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Develop one outcome for the priority nursing diagnosis chosen.

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Make a comprehensive list of nursing interventions to address the priority nursing diagnosis and outcome.

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The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation website has many valuable resources to review.  Have fun exploring!

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Learning that you or your loved one has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis may fill you with anxiety, concern, and lots of questions. Even many health care professionals are unfamiliar with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It's important to begin learning all that you can about what Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis is so that you can better understand these conditions and learn how to manage its symptoms.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are both major categories of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBD affects an estimated 1.6 million Americans. These chronic diseases tend to run in families and they affect males and females equally. While IBD can affect anyone, Caucasians are more likely than other ethnic groups to have IBD.The diseases are especially prevalent in Jews of European descent (Ashkenazi Jews). African Americans and Hispanics in the United States are increasingly affected.

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract and may affect any part from the mouth to the anus. Read more about the signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition limited to the colon, otherwise known as the large intestine. Read more about the signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis.

Shared Symptoms of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

It is often difficult to diagnose which form of IBD a patient is suffering from because both Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis cause similar symptoms.

Symptoms related to inflammation of the GI tract:

Diarrhea

Rectal bleeding

Urgent need to move bowels

Abdominal cramps and pain

Sensation of incomplete evacuation

Constipation (can lead to bowel obstruction)

General symptoms that may also be associated with IBD:

Fever

Loss of appetite

Weight Loss

Fatigue

Night sweats

Loss of normal menstrual cycle

Both illnesses do have one strong feature in common. They are marked by an abnormal response by the body's immune system. The immune system is composed of various cells and proteins. Normally, these protect the body from infection. In people with Crohn's disease, however, the immune system reacts inappropriately.

However, in people suffering from IBD, the immune system reacts inappropriately, mistaking benign or beneficial cells and bacteria for harmful foreign substances. When this happens, your immune system can do harm to your gastrointestinal tract and produce the symptoms of IBD.

Welcome to the IBD Help Center Education Corner!!!

Researchers have published a new study that has successfully identified biological signatures in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed Crohn's disease (CD) capable of predicting whether a child will develop disease-related complications requiring major surgery within three to five years. This groundbreaking work is the result of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's "RISK Stratification" study, the largest new-onset study completed on pediatric Crohn's disease patients. To learn the results of this study contact the IBD Help Center at info@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.

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Learning that you or your loved one has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis may fill you with anxiety, concern, and lots of questions. Even many health care professionals are unfamiliar with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.