CHAPTER 10

SARIPADA, BASSAM G. BS NURSING 2B PHARMACOLOGY

1. John is a 28-year-old male who was diagnosed with a viral gastrointestinal infection.

A. Discuss problems with treating viral infections in humans.

ANSWER: viral infection is a proliferation of a harmful virus inside the body. Viruses cannot reproduce
without the assistance of a host. When most people hear the word virus they think of decease causing
pathogenic viruses such as the common cold, influenza, chickenpox, corona virus and others. Viruses can
affect many areas in the body including the reproductive, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. For
most viral infections, treatments can only help with symptoms while you wait for your immune system to
fight off the virus. Antibiotics do not work for viral infections. There are antiviral medicines to treat some
viral infections. Vaccines can help prevent you from getting many viral diseases. The common problem is
that the response pattern is dominated by cell types that exert pro inflammatory effects, but cannot control
infection
B. John asks why the health care provider did not order him a medication for his virus. How would you
respond?
ANSWER: Your healthcare provider will do an exam and ask about your health history and it will likely
ask for a stool sample to find the source of your illness and whether it’s bacterial or viral. Once a
healthcare provider diagnoses your virus, it is easy to treat. Antibiotics work to cure some forms of virus
within a few days. You may need additional treatment to replace the fluids and electrolytes in your body.
This will depend on the severity of your illness. 

2. The nurse working in a public health department has assessed patients with various viral infections.

A. Describe characteristics of common viruses.

ANSWER: Here the common viruses
1. Respiratory viral diseases are contagious and commonly affect the upper or lower parts of your
respiratory tract.

2. Gastrointestinal viral diseases affect your digestive tract. The viruses that cause them are contagious
and usually lead to a condition called gastroenteritis, also called the stomach flu.

3. Exanthematous viruses cause skin rashes. Many of them cause additional symptoms as well. Many of
the viruses in this category, such as the measles virus, are highly contagious
4. The hepatic viral diseases cause inflammation of the liver, known as viral hepatitis. The most common
Trusted Source types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, B, and C. It is worth noting that diseases caused by
other viruses, such as cytomegalovirus and the yellow fever virus, can also affect the liver.
5. Cutaneous viral diseases cause lesions or papules to form on the skin. In many cases, these lesions can
stick around for a long time or come back after disappearing for a while.

B. Describe the clinical presentations of common viral infections.

ANSWER: Viral diseases vary depending on the specific type of virus causing infection, the area of the
body that is infected, the age and health history of the patient, and other factors. The symptoms of viral
diseases can affect almost any area of the body or body system. Symptoms of viral diseases can include
fatigue, fever, sore throat, headache, cough, aches and pains, Gastrointestinal disturbances, such
as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, Irritability, Malaise, Rash, Sneezing. For infections that occur in
epidemics the presence of other similar cases may help doctors identify a particular infection.
Laboratory diagnosis is important for distinguishing between different viruses that cause similar
symptoms, such as COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) and influenza.

Drugs that combat viral infections are called antiviral drugs. There are no effective antiviral drugs for
many viral infections. However, there are several drugs for influenza, many drugs for infection by one
or more herpes viruses, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and Ebola.

Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections, but if a person has a bacterial infection in addition
to a viral infection, an antibiotic is often necessary.

3. Gail is a 9-year-old girl with fever, cough, and generalized body aches for the past 12 hours. Her health
care provider has diagnosed her with influenza A.

A. Which antiviral medication is indicated for children over 7 years of age? Describe its therapeutic
action.
ANSWER:
- Zanamivir Relenza® is approved for treatment of flu in children 7 years and older. It is not
recommended for use in children with underlying respiratory disease, including those with asthma and
other chronic lung diseases.  Inhaled zanamivir is given via a special inhaler.

- Zanamivir, an antiviral agent, is a neuraminidase inhibitor indicated for treatment of uncomplicated

acute illness due to influenza A and B virus in adults and pediatric patients 7 years and older who have
been symptomatic for no more than 2 days. Zanamivir has also been shown to significantly inhibit the
human sialidases NEU3 and NEU2 in the micromolar range which could account for some of the rare side
effects of zanamivir.

- The proposed mechanism of action of zanamivir is via inhibition of influenza virus neuraminidase with
the possibility of alteration of virus particle aggregation and release. By binding and inhibiting the
neuraminidase protein, the drug renders the influenza virus unable to escape its host cell and infect others.

B. What are the adverse effects that may occur with antiviral medications?
ANSWER:
Adverse effects of antiviral drugs may include nervousness, poor concentration, nausea, vomiting,
and diarrhea. Zanamivir is not recommended for people with a history of breathing problems, such as
asthma, because it may worsen breathing.
C. Are there any age-specific issues for this patient taking antiviral medication?
ANSWER: NO.