Over the years doctors and healthcare professionals are running hundreds of clinical trials for dealing with rare conditions like HAE (Hereditary Angioedema). It becomes challenging to find effective measures and treatments to help with this rare condition which causes severe swelling in the face, limbs, intestinal track, lungs and several other parts of the body.
As someone who is studying to help patients with HAE, it is important for you to constantly keep track of new studies, research and clinical trials to provide optimal care to the patients. As you go on readinging this article, you will learn more about the ways in which you can recognize, manage and treat HAE attack in people and lead them towards the right direction.
Understand HAE Attacks in Depth
As you read above, HAE is a rare condition that one can inherit. The patient will have recurrent episodes of visible swelling in areas of the body such as limbs, face, airways, and abdomen. These attacks can be triggered at any time when the patient experiences trauma, stress, discomfort or hormonal changes in the body. The most important thing here is to recognize the attack in order to provide swift intervention.
How to Recognize a HAE Attack?
At first, you may find it difficult to understand when the attack occurs. The key indicators to look out for in a hereditary angioedema attack are:
- Sudden amount of swelling in visible areas like the face or genitals.
- Acute abdominal conditions such as abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea.
- Affecting the airway system of the body such as difficulty in breathing, swelling in the throat and hoarseness.
Types of Intervention Strategies to Deal with The Attack
In order to provide immediate care and reduce the severity of the condition, you have to follow a strategic process to provide treatment to the patient. Let’s understand the steps to be taken to provide proper care.
1. Confirm the diagnosis
The first and most important things to do is get the tests done and collect all the records of medical history and family history of angioedema. The collect samples from family members and run laboratory tests to find out C1 inhibitor levels and functions. Once this is done consider doing genetic testing for definitive diagnosis.
2. Discuss and establish a treatment plan
Once you have all the reports sit with the patients and explain to them the condition in detail along with discussing a plan of treatment. Each patient may observe different symptoms and can experience different frequencies at which they experience the attack. Therefore you need a personalized treatment plan and you should educate the patient on self-administration of medication to deal with acute attacks, such as C1inhibitor replacement therapy and other options.
3. Check the medication
In case the patient experiences acute attacks you must suggest C1 inhibitor replacement therapy or bradykinin receptor antagonists to prevent any progression and alleviate the symptoms. Along with this, you must ensure that the patient can self-administer the medication in case of any emergency.
4. Monitor the Response of the Treatment
To be able to judge whether a particular treatment is being accepted by the patient’s body or not, you need to constantly monitor the response of treatment. Keep tracking the symptoms or any adverse reaction of the treatment. Also, incase of any severe attack which does affect the airway system of the body consider immediate hospitalization. Even in the case of abdominal swelling and pain, do not risk treatment at home. Suggest medical care immediately.
5. Provide Support
A patient can feel exhausted when dealing with these attacks. Make sure you address the pain and discomfort the patient might feel during the process of the treatment. Also, monitor the amount of fluid in-take and electrolyte balance in case of pain and swelling in the abdomen.
6. Schedule Regular Follow-ups
Even if the patient has opted for a treatment, it is your duty as a healthcare professional to schedule regular follow-ups to keep a check on the patient’s condition. It will allow you to reassess the course of the treatment.
At the end, as a healthcare professional who is providing care to any patient, it is your duty to constantly keep yourself updated with the latest studies and research so that you can optimize the potential of the treatment you suggest to your patients. The swift intervention to complex conditions like HAE needs you to stay updated and help navigate the complexities of the condition. With constant evolution and collaboration, you can provide your patient with a smooth ride to deal with attack and reduce its harm.