Assignment about Jordan Case Study

Jordan Case Study
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Jordan Case Study
1. Explain the structural and functional changes in the disease process that led to Jordan’s
weight loss.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition that causes irritation and sometimes inflammation
of the gastrointestinal tract of the large and the small intestine. This means that the intestines can
be thicker or edematous thus leading to swelling making it difficult for the food to move in the
intestines. The symptoms of the disease are seen is crampy abdominal pain, bloating and nausea
after a meal. The blockages that are experienced by patients like stricture experienced by Jordan.
The development of the condition can be traced back to a perennial abscess that required surgery
and management with drugs. Most studies have indicated that perennial abscess is a common
problem that escalates Crohn’s condition in most cases leading to serious bowel obstruction
(Kelley, Kaur, & Tsikitis, 2017).
This is the development of a scar tissue in the intestine which makes part of the intestine
narrow eventually leading to the blockage of the intestinal tract. People with this condition
experience bowel obstruction especially if they eat food that is difficult to digest. Bowel
obstruction is a functional obstructing of the intestines preventing the normal flow of products of
digestion like food. This can be in the small or large intestine which leads to abdominal pain,
vomiting, and challenges passing gas.
Weight loss is a common symptom of the inflammatory bowel disease of Crohn’s disease
which is caused by malnutrition. This means that the body of the individual is not getting enough
calories to manage the needs of the body. This can be caused by poor appetite, malabsorption,
food aversions and nutrient loss due to diarrhea. As seen in the case study, Jordan has been
experiencing persistent diarrhea and malaise. This is the reason why the patient has been

experiencing weight loss due to the inability of the body to get adequate nutrients from the food
that the patient eats. According to Elsherif, Alexakis, & Mendall (2014) weight loss is common
in 80% of hospitalized patients due to the disease, while outside hospitals, 20-40% of people
who suffer from the dress report weight loss. This is based on the fact that most people who
suffer from the disease are faced with the challenge of dealing with the disease since it makes it
difficult for the patient to eat enough food and sometimes difficulty absorbing the food. To
evaluate weight loss, the patient’s diet and weight are supposed to be tracked over some time to
determine the percentage of weight loss.
2. Explain the pain pathway and how Morphine alters the conscious perception of pain.
The abdominal pain varies depending on the level of the condition. This pain is usually
colicky, may increase and sometimes subsides periodically. Most patients experience persistent
abdominal pain which requires management using opioids. This pain has visceral origins that
come from the overlying skin of the abdominal wall (Shi, Lin, & Hegde, 2018). However, the
pain can become acute as soon as obstruction occurs due to abdominal distention. This pain is
always severe in the lower gastrointestinal tract. Many patients who suffer from Chron’s disease
experience chronic pain that can only be managed through the use of opioids. Morphine is
regarded as the most valuable drug that is used to treat the constipating effect of the drug which
inhibits intestinal activity. The drug has a constipating effect since it has a static effect on the
splinters and also decreases the upper intestinal and pancreatic secretions. The drug has also
alkaloid the relaxing effects of the gastrointestinal spasm for stopping all peristalsis that is
suffered by the patient (Long, Barnes, Herfarth, & Drossman, 2012). The drug affects the muscle
of the bowel leading to its usefulness in therapy for healing the pain that is related to obstructive
lesions of the intestines.