1. Advanced Adult Health Ashanti Starr Johnson, BSN, RN
SLE (Lupus)
Advanced Adult Health
Ashanti Starr Johnson, BSN, RN

2. What is it?
Autoimmune disorders - abnormal turn-on of immune process, destroys native cells (self eating/destroying). Chronic condition in which the immune system attacks own organs & tissues.
Can affect various body systems/organs

3. How do you get it? SLE - chronic, multisystem inflammatory
Inherited predisposition
Sunlight exposure
Medications
BP meds, antibiotics, anti-seizure meds
Usually Women affected ages 15-40, African Americans, Hispanics & Asians most common
Immune complexes with Ab against host tissue

4. What does it look like? Signs/Symptoms
May develop slowly or suddenly, mild or severe, temporary or permanent
Flare-ups
Fatigue & fever
Joint pain, stiffness, swelling
Butterfly rash on face
Skin lesions that worsen in sun exposure
Raynauds?
SOB, CP, HA memory loss, confusion
Dry eyes

5. What does it look like?

6. How do you detect it?
Difficult to diagnose as it mimics other conditions.
Look at s/s.

7. How do we treat it?
No cure.
Treatments help control symptoms

8. What do YOU (Nurse) do about it?
Monitor for:
Infection
Cancer
Avascular necrosis
Pregnancy complications
Heart (pericarditis)
Lungs (pleurisy)
Blood & vessels (vasculitis)
Brain
Kidneys (renal failure)