Nursing and nutrition in patient care

Bennie is a well-nourished seven years old who develops the flu and has a fever of 101 degrees over the period of two days. Influenza could temporarily affect Bennie's nutritional status in several important ways. First, the diarrhoea and vomiting associated with influenza alone often result in dehydration. In addition, sweat loss from the fever would increase the degree of dehydration. As such, it would be important to ensure that Bennie receives adequate water and replacement electrolytes to compensate for those lost during the course of the influenza.

Second, Bennie's diarrhoea and vomiting would also affect his ability to absorb new nutrients. In addition, fever increases the body's caloric requirements. Given that Bennie is a well-nourished child, this temporary discrepancy between the calories required and calories absorbed would not likely seriously affect his overall health. As such, there is no pressing need to attempt to replace the nutrients lost during the influenza.

Third, the fever accompanying influenza commonly results in serious loss of tissue proteins. Again, given Bennie's overall good nutrition status prior to the development of influenza, a temporary loss of tissue proteins will likely not have a serious effect on his overall health.

The concerns over Bennie's nutrition status would differ somewhat if he hospitalized for injuries suffered in a car accident, and subsequently developed the flu and a fever, and was unable to eat for several days. In this scenario, Bennie's overall nutrition status would be initially compromised due to the car accident. Further, proper nutrition would be important in helping Bennie heal his injuries, and prevent infections and complications.

His compromised initial nutritional status, in addition to the added nutritional requirements imposed by trauma, would place Bennie at risk of serious nutritional deficiencies arising from the development of influenza and fever associated with the influenza.