Symptoms vary from person to person, and may come and go. Almost everyone with SLE has joint pain and swelling. Some develop arthritis. The joints of the fingers, hands, wrists, and knees are often affected.
Other common symptoms include:
- Chest pain when taking a deep breath
- Fatigue
- Fever with no other cause
- General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
- Hair loss
- Mouth sores
- Sensitivity to sunlight
- Skin rash -- a "butterfly" rash in about half people with SLE. The rash is most often seen over the cheeks and bridge of the nose, but can be widespread. It gets worse in sunlight.
- Swollen lymph nodes
Nursing Diagnosis and Nursing Intervention for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
1. Acute / Chronic Pain related to inflammation and tissue damage.
Goal:
Improvement in comfort level
Plan of action:
- Implement actions to provide comfort (warm compresses, massage, change of position, rest, foam mattress, pillow support, splint, relaxation techniques, activities that divert attention)
- Give anti-inflammatory preparations, analgesics as recommended.
- Customize your treatment schedule to meet the needs of patients on pain management.
- Encourage the patient to express his feelings about the nature of chronic pain and illness.
- Describe the pathophysiology of pain and help patients to realize that pain is often brought to methods of therapy that has not been proven beneficial.
- Assist in identifying the painful life of a person who brings the patient to use a method that has not proven beneficial therapies.
- Perform an assessment of subjective changes in pain.
2. Impaire Physical Mobility related to decreased range of motion, muscle weakness, pain when moving, limited physical endurance.
Goal:
Obtain and maintain optimal functional mobility.
Plan of action:
- Encourage verbalization with regard to limitations in mobility.
- Assess the need for occupational therapy / physiotherapy :
- Emphasizing the range of motion in joints pain
- Describe the use of safe footwear.
- Use posture / body alignment correct.
- Help the patient identify obstacles in the environment.
- Encourage independence in mobility and help if needed:
- Provide adequate time to perform activities
- Provide an opportunity for rest after doing activities.
