Life Assessment: Pathophysiology - Foundational Disease Process

Running head: DISEASE PROCESS 1

Foundation of Disease Process

Kathryn L. Smith

Union University

Running head: DISEASE PROCESS 2

Foundational Disease Process

The purpose of this Life Application Summary (LAS) is to consider a disease process and its foundation. In doing so, the writer will include new information learned about the process, and how it will apply to practice. Three manifestations wil be included with their outcomes, and the writer will also discuss what the disease process has taught her about normal physiology. A scripture will be included that demonstrates how the process of disease can be positive.

According to McCance, Heuther, Brashers and Rote (2010), most diseases begin with cell injury, and all forms of loss of function derive from cell injury and cell death (p. 50). There are three common forms of cell unjury, one of which is reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radical-induced injury. Oxidative stress occurs when excess ROS overwhelms endogenous antioxidant systems (McCance, et al., p. 54, 2010). Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary defines a free radical as an unstable organic compound with at least one unpaired electron (p. 707). Free radicals are difficult to control and anitiate chain reactions (McCance, et al., p. 54, 2010). According to McCance et al. (2010), ROS plays a huge role in the initiation of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and cronic heart failure (p. 54). Free radicals are initiated within cells by the absorption of extreme energy sources such as ultraviolent light and x-rays, endogenous reactions that occur during normal metabolic processes, or enzymatic metablosim of exogenous chemicals or drugs, such as Hydrogen Peroxide (McCance, et al., p. 54, 2010).

Running head: DISEASE PROCESS 3

There are three important effects/ manifestations that occur from reactive species. These incude: Lipid peroxidation, alteraltions of proteins causing fragmentation of polypeptide chains, and alterations of DNA (McCance, et al., p. 54, 2010).

McCance, et al. (2010) stated the following:

Lipid peroxidation is the destruction of unsatturated fatty acids. Fatty acids of lipids in membranes possess double bonds between some of the carbon atoms. Such bonds are vulnerable to attack by oxygen-derived free radicals, especially OH. The lipid-radical interactions themselves yield peroxides. the peroxides set off a chain reaction resluting in membrane, organelle, and cellular destruction (p. 54-55).

Outcomes vary within the Free-Radical and ROS system. It is fortunate that at times the body can rid itself of free radicals; Superoxide may decay into oxygen and hydrogen peroxides (McCance, et al., p. 55, 2010). Other methods that contribute to the inactivation or termination of free radicals are Antioxidants and Enzymes. The process of antioxidants is either endogenous or exogenous and they either block synthesis or inactivate free radicals; these antioxidants include vitamin E, vitamin C, cystine, glutahione, albumin, ceruloplasmin, and transferin (McCance, et al. p. 57, 2010). The process of enzymes includes Superoxide dismutase, which converts superoxide to H2O; catalase (in peroxisomes) decomposes H2O2; and glutathione peroxidase decomposes OH and H2O2 (McCaance, et al. p. 57, 2010).

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