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Essay Unit 12C - infectious disease treatments
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Unit 12C: Treatment of infectious diseases During this assignment I will be producing a reportdescribing and comparing an assortment of different drugs, specifically on how the drug may work,
identifying a pathogen that the drug is used against and the method in which the treatment is given
to prevent the pathogen from spreading or causing harm to individuals. Some of the drugs that I will
be discussing include: anti-retroviral therapy, antibiotic therapy, antifungal medication, anthelmintic
medication. I will then evaluate theses drug treatments and their effectiveness, also including why
some treatments may not be accessible or appropriate for particular individuals, as this may be due
to problems with the individuals. Finally I will research and provide a detailed and clear case-study
consisting of a detailed description of a treatment regime of a specific infectious disease.
Antiviral therapy
Treatment: antiviral drugs are a form of medication used specifically for the treatment of viral
infections, they either kill or prevent the growth of viruses.
Pathogen it’s used against: antiviral therapy is used influenza, the therapy reverses the
transcriptase inhibitor which prevents the synthesis of DNA transcript. This stops the virus from
being able to reproduce
How treatment is given: This type of treatment is normally given as capsules, which have a certain
dosage and you should take the treatment until the prescribed length, normally till the course of the
treatment has finished. You should swallow the capsules whole with water, and it is recommended
to take the antivirals with food as it reduces the chance of you feeling or being sick.
Effectiveness: antiviral drugs are very effective in preventing illness. If you have been exposed to
influenza, an antiviral drug may be 70-90% effective in preventing you from becoming ill. The drugs
make you feel better faster and keep you from getting seriously ill, further preventing you from
getting serious complications. (webmd,18 may 2019) Anti-retroviral therapy
Treatment: antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses,
mainly for HIV. the therapy consists of three types of antiretroviral drugs, which supress the HIV
virus and stop its progression
Pathogen its used against: this type of therapy is used against HIV, as they do not kill the virus
however they slow down the virus which in turn slows down the Hiv disease.
How treatment is given: HIV treatment id made up of three or more antiretroviral drugs which are
taken together, some of which are combined into one pill. The World Health Organization has newly
recommended that adults and adolescentsstarting HIV treatment take a combination of drugs with
dolutegravir as one of the main components.
Effectiveness: reduced deaths and suffering have been seen when effective use has been made of
the drug, particularly in the early stages of the disease. The effectiveness in treatment also means
that people living with HIV are achieving an undetectable viral load, so the virus exists in small
amounts not affecting their health, so they can live a good life. However antiretroviral treatment
does not cure AIDS, but it does reduce the capacity of virus in your bloodstream (viral load).
Treatment: antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections and diseases caused by bacteria.
They work by stopping the bacteria from reproducing or kill the bacteria. (patient, 9 March 2018)
Pathogen it’s used against: Penicillin is an antibiotics which cures the sexually transmitted disease,
gonorrhoea, caused by having oral, anal or vaginal sex with an individual who already has
gonorrhoea. The infection spreads through semen and vaginal fluids. It does this by attacking the
, protective cell walls around the bacteria. Azithromycin, ceftriaxone, doxycycline, erythromycin are
all treatments for gonorrhoea, however each one has a specific use for the severity of the
gonorrhoea.
How treatment is given: doctors prescribe a course of oral tablets, which may improve your
symptoms of gonorrhoea, but the individual may still be infected, the full course of antibiotics
should be taken until finished to prevent resistance and to make sure the infection has cleared.
Effectiveness: antibiotics are effective, however evidently there are concerns that individuals are
overusing antibiotics, leading to antibiotic resistance, therefore when people are in need of
antibiotics they may not work due to the overuse of them.
Immunoglobulin therapy
Treatment: immunoglobulin replacement therapy is a blood-based treatment which contains
antibodies that help to fight infection. This type of treatment is given when your body is not making
enough antibodies or you immune system is not making antibodies. The immunoglobulin is made
from plasma separated out from donated blood, everything except a type of immunoglobulin is
removed from the plasma during manufacturing.
Pathogen its used against: immunoglobulin is used against Hepatitis A, which is when people
become infected when they come into contact with food or water contaminated with the virus.to
treat hepatitis A, you can either take IG or a hepatitis A vaccine, which helps to lessen the infection
and in cases it can prevent the infection completely.
How treatment is given: age determines if you should take the vaccine or IG. Children less than
one year old should take the IG, but people older than 12monthsbut under 40 years should receive
the vaccine. Immunoglobulin should be given as soon as you have been diagnosed with the virus.
Effectiveness: since IG will only give you about 3 months of protection, a better strategy is to use
both IG and the hepatitis A vaccine. Oral rehydration therapy
Treatment: oral hydration therapy is a fluid replacement treatment which is used to prevent and
treat dehydration due to diarrhoea, it involves drinking water with modest amounts of sugar and
salts specifically: sodium and potassium.
Pathogen its used against: this treatment is used against diarrhoea, when a person has diarrhoea
the body loses both bodily fluid and necessary electrolytes these include sodium and potassium,
here the treatment works to replenish the body by using sugar or glucose making the absorption of
salt into the intestine more efficient and the salt promotes water absorption into the intestinal walls.
How treatment is given : It involves drinking water with modest amounts of sugar and salts,
specifically sodium and potassium. Oral rehydration therapy can also be given by a nasogastric tube.
The therapy should routinely include the use of zinc supplements.
Effectiveness: the treatment has reduced the number of deaths substantially from dehydration
due to diarrhoea. Since the World Health Organization began using it in 1978 against diarrhea, the
annual death rate among children ORT has been shown to reverse dehydration in more than 90
percent of patients with acute diarrhea.
Antimalarial medication
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