| Abstrakt: |
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care is shifting away from hospital to community- and outpatient-based services. Innovations in therapy and care mean fewer patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are being treated as inpatients. However, the unpredictable nature of IBD means that, when the severity of the disease reaches a point at which oral medications are ineffective, patients require hospitalisation. Ward nurses play an integral frontline role in inpatient treatment, with careful decision-making and expert communication. This two-part paper provides an educational framework for ward nurses on various aspects of IBD care. The first part looked at screening, observation and investigation, as well as logistical issues related to privacy and confidentiality. The second part deals with medical management, covering first-line therapy with mesalazine or steroids, including methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone and prednisolone, as well as rescue and salvage therapy with ciclosporin or the biologic infliximab. It also looks at nutrition and fluid replacement, as well as coprescriptions to avoid anaemia, osteoporosis, thromboembolism and stomach ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
