Discussion: Alterations in Cellular Processes

Discussion: Alterations in Cellular Processes
NURS_6501_Discussion
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NURS 6501 Discussion
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Discussion: Alterations In Cellular Processes
Background
The case focuses on a 27-year-old patient who has substance abuse disorder and is found unresponsive. The patient got naloxone and became responsive but then reported burning pain over the left hip and forearm. After patient evaluation, there was necrotic tissue over the greater trochanter and the forearm, and the EKG showed abnormally peaked T waves and prolonged PR interval. The serum potassium level is above the normal level at 3.5 to 5.5 mEq/L. There is a focus on the genetic links to the disease, symptoms, physiologic response to the stimulus, cells involved in the process and other characteristics explain the response.
Genetics and the disease
Substance abuse disorder is a highly complex disease affected by different factors such as brain development, individual behavior, the environment, and genetics. There are genes related to substance addiction that help understand the biological mechanisms associated with addiction. Most of the genes related to substance abuse and addiction have been described in animal models, but family history is one of the risk factors linked to substance abuse. The OPRM1 gene codes for a certain type of opioid receptor that is located mainly in the brain and spinal cord, specifically the Mu 1 receptor. These opioids include heroin, morphine, or methadone, substances strongly related to addiction. In human studies, some variations in the OPRM1 gene have been found to be associated with opioid use disorders, while others are associated with alcohol dependence (Wachman et al., 2018). Other genes are expressed much in people who do not use opiates based on regulation of receptors and neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
Symptoms
Naloxone is used when there is an overdose on opioid drugs and opiates and reverses the effect of opioid overdose. The patient’s symptoms are linked to opioid overdose, and opioids slow down breathing, which then depresses the respiratory system and, in extreme cases can cause respiratory failure. In extreme cases, drug-induced hyperkalemia can cause cardiac arrest and death. Heroin is the most commonly used opiate and is related to methadone, morphine, and codeine (McCance & Huether, 2019). Necrosis is one of the main types of cell death, and it is likely there was a lack of oxygen and blood flow slowing dow...