Reference no: EM133352779
Care Scenario : Lily
Lily is a 20-year-old undergraduate student at McMaster University. She has recently spent Thanksgiving Day with relatives at her grandparent's farm. During her drive back to campus on Friday morning, Lily's vision became blurry, and she was forced to pull over to the side of the road. As she sat in her car, her vision worsened. She opened the car hood in hope of attracting aid and tried to relax. In a short time, an OPP officer pulled over and approached Lily.
By this time, Lily was having trouble swallowing and speaking clearly. The officer helped Lily to his car and rushed her to the emergency department at a nearby hospital. In the ED, Lily was barely able to describe her symptoms to a physician. The physician made note of what Lily had eaten during the last 24 hours and was especially interested in the fact that Lily's grandmother canned all of her own vegetables.
The physician observed that Lily's breathing was becoming laboured.
Concerned that Lily's condition was worsening, the physician ordered Lily's blood sampled, her gastrointestinal tract pumped, and a mechanical ventilator on standby.
Fearing that Lily suffered from a case of botulism, she asked that Lily's grandparents be contacted, and samples of the Thanksgiving meal retained, if possible, and sent to a local clinic for microbiological analysis.
Linking this to the care scenario, students should investigate: Please include references up to date if possible.
1. What is food-borne botulism? What is the pathogenesis of this type of intoxication and relate Lily's symptoms to what is happening at a cellular level?
2. What pathogen is responsible (noting specific characteristics of this pathogen) and discuss the significance of an anaerobic pathogen? What type of toxin is produced?
3. Why didn't the physician prescribe an antibiotic to treat Lily's condition and what is the recommended treatment?
4. Why has the physician requested that samples of the meal be sent for analysis?
5. Different strains of this pathogen are purposefully used commercially, explain why and the potential risks?