Chapter 42.

Nursing Care of the Child with an immune Disorder

Terms:
1. Allergen - antigen that causes the release of mediating substances causing tissue injury and allergic symptoms
2. Anaphylaxis - acute hypersensitivity (type 1) reaction characterized by extreme vasodilation that leads to circulatory shock and
extreme bronchoconstriction that decreases the airway lumens
3. Angioedema- edema of the skin and subcutaneous tissue
4. Antigen - any foreign substance (molecule) capable of stimulating an immune response
5. Autoimmunity - an inability to distinguish self from non-self, causing the immune system to carry immune responses against
normal cells and tissues
6. B lymphocytes - lymphocytes formed in the bone marrow; responsible for antibody formation
7. Cell-mediated immunity - type of immune response due to T-lymphocyte activity
8. Chemotaxis - “calling leukocytes into the area
9. Complement - a special body protein that is capable of lysing cells, comprised of 12 different proteins that are normally
nonfunctional molecules but become active with the immune response
10. Contact dermatitis - example of a delayed or type IV hypersensitivity response; it is a reaction to skin contact with an allergen (a
substance irritating only to the person with prior sensitization)
11. Cytotoxic response - cells are detected as foreign and immunoglobulins directly attack and destroy the cells without harming
surrounding tissue
12. Cytotoxic T-cells- T lymphocytes that have the specific feature of binding to the surface of antigens and directly destroying the
cell membrane and therefore the cell
13. Delayed hypersensitivity - T-lymphocytes activity occurring solely without an accompanying humoral response
14. Environmental control - as many common allergens as possible are removed from the environment
15. Hapten formation - process whereby a substance, not antigenic in itself, becomes antigenic when combined with a higher-weight
molecule, usually protein
16. Helper T cell - lymphocytes that stimulate B lymphocytes to divide and mature into plasma cells and begin secretion of
immunoglobulins.
17. Humoral immunity - immunity created by antibody production or B-lymphocyte involvement
18. Hypersensitivity response - excessive antigen-antibody response when the invading organism is an allergen rather than a simple
immunogen
19. Hyposensitization - immunotherapy; a process to diminish an allergic response
20. Immune response - body’s action plan devised to combat invading organisms or substances by leukocyte and antibody activity
21. Immunity - the ability to destroy invading invading antigens
22. Immunocompetent cells - cells capable of resisting foreign invaders
23. Immunogen - substane (antigen) that can be readily destroyed by an immune response
24. Lymphokine - a substance that contains or prevents migration of antigens
25. Lysis - Killing
26. Macrophage - mature white blood cells
27. Memory cells - B lymphocytes that are responsible for retaining the formula or ability to produce specific immunoglobulins
28. Phagocytosis - destruction of invading substances
29. Plasma cells - B lymphocytes that secrete large quantities of immunoglobulins
30. Suppressor T cells - T cells that reduce the production of immunoglobulins against a specific antigen and prevent their
overproduction
31. T lymphocytes - lymphocytes that are produced by the bone marrow but mature under the influence of the thymus gland
32. Tolerance a state of not responding to an allergen
33. Urticaria - swelling and itching caused by capillary dilation