Crohn's disease: view on nursing diagnosis and management - Research Paper Example

It is one of a group of diseases, together with ulcerative colitis, known together as inflammatory bowel disease. Although the disease can affect any area from the mouth to the anus, it often affects the lower part of the small intestine called the ileum (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2012). Crohn's disease is highly associated with genetics and can occur in all age group but is most often diagnosed in young adults. Common symptoms includes pain in the abdomen and diarrhea, bleeding from the rectum, weight loss, joint pain, skin problems and fever may also occur.

Often children who developed the disease encounter growth problems. This can be associated with problems due to the disease such as intestinal blockage and malnutrition that can highly affect growth and development in children. Treatment may include medicines, nutrition supplements, surgery or a combination of these options (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2012). Crohn's disease is highly associated with genetics and can occur in all age group but is most often diagnosed in young adults.

Common symptoms includes pain in the abdomen and diarrhea, bleeding from the rectum, weight loss, joint pain, skin problems and fever may also occur. Often children who developed the disease encounter growth problems. This can be associated with problems due to the disease such as intestinal blockage and malnutrition that can highly affect growth and development in children. Treatment may include medicines, nutrition supplements, surgery or a combination of these options (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2012).

There have been an increasing number of incidences of having the disease and the standardized mortality ratio for irritable bowel disease, both for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, generally ranges from approximately 1.4 times to 5 times the general population suggesting 95% that the increase in relative risk is real. This implies the importance of early diagnosis and proper treatment to reduce chances of increasing IBD mortality rate (Rowe, 2011). In the practice of health care regarding specific diseases such as Crohn’s disease, the role of the nurse in achieving full patient recovery and desirable patient outcome is very vital and necessary.

Through the formation of nursing diagnosis nurses are able to direct specific interventions that would address a specific problem brought about by the disease. In this way the nurse is able to achieve full potential in giving care to patients and gives more desirable and measurable outcomes. Since nutrition plays an important role in the development of a growing child it is important to focus on nutrition as a basic need. Nutrition impairment is usually a very common problem in children suffering from Crohn’s disease thus the importance of addressing the nutritional needs of such patients is essential.

One of the important nursing diagnoses according to The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association that pertains to nutrition is Imbalance Nutrition: Less than body requirements (White, 2005, p. 316). The desired outcome for this specific nursing problem should be directed to achieving the nutritional needs of the patient. These needs may include achieving desired weight, correcting nutritional deficiencies, maintaining a special diet, preventing nutritional disorders or improving nutrition to promote health and prevent disease.

Since diet is an important factor in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease, one goal for nutritional alteration for this specific disease could be that client will comply with diet therapy designed specifically for Crohn’s disease patients. To be able to achieve this specific goal the implementations or interventions opted are diet therapy and weight and intake monitoring. From the many choices of