Essay Questions

Essay Questions
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Essay Questions
Question 1
               One of the commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) herbal supplements is St. John’s Wort (SJW). SJW is extracted from Hypericum perforatum and is mostly taken to treat depression (Peterson & Nguyen, 2021). It is also used to treat other conditions such as premenstrual syndrome, emotional difficulties in children, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is believed that SJW reduces the binding of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) because it can bind to the GABA receptors and as a result, central nervous system depression is reduced. Another mechanism involves the inhibition of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine uptake. These neurotransmitters are essential for brain function and having them at high levels can treat depression (Peterson & Nguyen, 2021). Since OTC supplements are sold without a prescription, patients are more likely to use them rather than get more effective prescription drugs. Also, some patients have concerns about the use of prescription drugs, which makes them seek OTC supplements instead (Qato et al., 2016). However, the use of OTC supplements can be challenging, especially among patients taking prescription drugs. According to Qato et al. (2016) to concurrent use of OTC supplements and prescription drugs is common, especially among older people. This provides an opportunity for nurses to promote the effective use of OTC supplements by educating patients on drug misuse and disclosure of supplement use to physicians, as well as monitoring drug interaction.
Question 2
               Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways (Agarwal et al., 2021). As a result, patients experience coughing as the body tries to remove mucus from the lungs caused by the inflammation. Also, shortness of breath occurs because the breathing muscles contract faster than usual as a result of low oxygen levels and high carbon dioxide levels (Agarwal et al., 2021). Another symptom associated with COPD is chest tightness caused by the narrowing of the airways. Pharmaceutical treatments are effective in managing the symptoms because they help relax the airway muscles and reduce inflammation. For instance, inhaled corticosteroids, when combined with both short- and long-acting antimuscarinic agents reduce inflammation in the lungs (Agarwal et al., 2021), thereby reducing coughing. Antibiotics should be considered for the treatment of mild COPD, especially when it is suspected that the COPD was exacerbated by a bacterial infection (Agarwal et al., 2021). This can be determined using a sputum culture. Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the most common bacteria that cause a COPD bacterial infection (Stolbrink, Bonnett, & Blakey, 2019). Antibiotics such as erythromycin, doxycycline, and amoxicillin are used in treating COPD because they are broad-spectrum. Even though these antibiotics are beneficial because they target a broad range of bacteria, they should be used with care to reduce the risk of developing ant...