Question

Consider a specific disease. Apply either the multicausation disease model or the chain of infection model to this disease. Describe specific intervention strategies for this disease.

Answer 1

Answer: Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs with a range of possible causes. It can be a serious and life-threatening disease. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can cause mild to severe illness in people of all ages. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia.

Signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:

• Chest pain when you breathe or cough
• Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older)
• Cough, which may produce phlegm
• Fatigue
• Fever, sweating and shaking chills
• Lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems)

*Interventions:

• Chest X-rays can confirm a pneumonia diagnosis and show which areas of the lungs are affected.
• A CT scan of the chest may provide more detailed information.
• Blood tests measure the white blood cell count