1. Chronicity
What we want to accomplish:
1.Differentiate between acute illness vs. chronic
illness.
2.Define “chronic conditions.”
3.Identify factors related to the increasing incidence
of chronic conditions.
4.Describe characteristics of chronic conditions and
implications for people with chronic conditions and
for their families.
2. Chronicity
What we want to accomplish:
1.Differentiate between acute illness vs. chronic
illness.
3. Acute VS Chronic
ACUTE CHRONIC
Beginning Rapid Gradual
Cause Usually one Many
Duration Short (<3
months)
Indefinite (> 3
months)
Diagnosis Commonly
Accurate
Often uncertain
Diagnostic
Tests
Often Decisive Often limited
value
Treatment Cure is common Cure is rare
4. OVERVIEW OF CHRONIC
DISEASES
• Account for 7 out of 10 deaths
• The term “chronic” describes a long disease
course and illnesses that may be incurable
• Require profound adjustments in all aspects of the
patient’s life
• Lifestyle changes
• Uncertainty
• Stress response (both patient and family)
• Developmental Stage of patient and family
• Previous experience
• Underlying personality
• Unresolved anger or grief
7. Chronicity
What we want to accomplish:
1.Identify factors related to the increasing incidence
of chronic conditions.
8. PREVALENCE AND CAUSES OF
CHRONIC CONDITIONS
Affects
both rich
and poor
nations.
Major
cause of
death
Focus on
Chart 9-1
and
Table 9-1
9.
10. Chronicity
What we want to accomplish:
1.Describe characteristics of chronic conditions and
implications for people with chronic conditions and
for their families.
11. CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRONIC CONDITIONS
Managing chronic illness involves more than treating
medical problems.
Chronic conditions usually involve many different
phases over the course of a person’s lifetime.
Keeping chronic conditions under control requires
persistent adherence to therapeutic regimens.
One chronic disease can lead to the development of
other chronic conditions.
12. Chronic illness affects the entire family.
The day-to-day management of illness is largely the
responsibility of people with chronic disorders and
their families.
The management of chronic conditions is a process
of discovery.
Managing chronic conditions must be a collaborative
process that involves many different health care
professionals working together.
The management of chronic conditions is expensive.
13. Chronic conditions raise difficult ethical issues for
patients, families, health care professionals, and
society.
Living with chronic illness means living with
uncertainty.
15. NURSING CARE OF PATIENTS WITH
CHRONIC ILLNESSES
Skilled communication is essential, especially when
conveying bad news
16. THE TRAJECTORY MODEL
The Trajectory Model describes discrete phases in an
individual’s experience with chronic illness
Editor's Notes
The concept of chronicity is an important one for this course.
These are the objectives that are important to know for this unit.
The first thing that we need to do is be able to differentiate between acute illness vs. chronic illness.
Look at this table. It compares the differences between an illness being acute or chronic. In general, an acute illness is one that is sudden, short and curable. A chronic illness is one that is progressive, long term, and often uncurable.
7 out of 10 deaths are because of chronic diseases
The conditions require profound adjustments in all aspects of the patient’s life, including
Lifestyle changes
Uncertainty
Stress response (both patient and family)
Developmental Stage of patient and family
Previous experience
Underlying personality
Unresolved anger or grief
The next thing that we want to be able to do is to define “chronic conditions.”
These are some examples of chronic diseases: Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease are a few that you will see frequently.
The next thing you must be able to do is to identify factors related to the increasing incidence of chronic conditions.
This slide shows that chronic conditions are increasing.
Chronic disease affects both rich and poor nations.
Chronic conditions are a major cause of death.
There are four reasons that the incidence of chronic disease is increasing.
First, there is a decrease in deaths from infectious disease. For instance, smallpox has been eradicated from the earth.
Second, lifestyle factors, like smoking or inactivity, have increased the diseases affecting the heart and metabolism.
Third, we are living longer because of advances in technology and drugs. It is also easier to go to Publix than grow your own!
Lastly, there is improved screening and tests to determine if you have a condition at all!
After reading the chapter and this class, you should be able to describe characteristics of chronic conditions and implications for people with chronic conditions and for their families.
Remember these points that describe chronic conditions:
Managing chronic illness involves more than treating medical problems. Individuals have to make profound changes to their lifestyle or way of life.
Chronic conditions usually involve many different phases over the course of a person’s lifetime. Know and understand the Trajectory Model. A person may have COPD and be mildly SOB. But, then they get a cold, and now they are in crisis with their ability to breath.
Keeping chronic conditions under control requires persistent adherence to therapeutic regimens. For example, there is no such thing as taking a vacation from testing your blood sugar.
One chronic disease can lead to the development of other chronic conditions. For example, a person with diabetes may have kidney failure, lose a limb, or become blind as the disease progresses.
Chronic illness affects the entire family.
The day-to-day management of illness is largely the responsibility of people with chronic disorders and their families.
The management of chronic conditions is a process of discovery. When a person has a chronic illness, they learn something new frequently.
Managing chronic conditions must be a collaborative process that involves many different health care professionals working together.
The management of chronic conditions is expensive.
Again, chronic illness affects the entire family. Chronic conditions raise difficult ethical issues for patients, families, health care professionals, and society.
Most importantly, remember that living with chronic illness means living with uncertainty.
There are four points for the nurse to remember when looking at the implications of chronic conditions:
First, chronic disease prevention and health promotion are important for the patient and his family.
Second, the patient and family must know how to manage symptoms of the disease. For example, if the patient is diabetic, they must know the signs and symptoms and how to treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
Third, the family must know how to prevent acute illness. For example, be cautious attending holiday events with a grandfather with COPD if the flu season is in full force!
Lastly, family members and the patient will have to be taught how to avoid complications – for example, if they are “on vacation” and “touring” with a family member with Alzheimer&apos;s disease. They will need to know how to avoid the family member getting confused or lost.
Therapeutic communication skills become very important in caring for patients with chronic illnesses. Skilled communication is essential, especially when conveying bad news to a patient or his family.
Practice this skill with your family and friends.
The Trajectory Model describes discrete phases in an individual’s experience with chronic illness. Read about this model in your book.