Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

M2- Health Assessment Assignment Description Infographic Choose one older adult community population and create an infographic on a topic of preventative screenings or vaccines for this population. You may choose to focus on one specific preventative screening (like colonoscopy) or one specific vaccine (like pneumovax). You will create a one page infographic and then write an essay on the topic you chose.Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

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View websites on How to create Infographics: *http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34223/5-Infographics-to-Teach-You-How-to-Easily-Create-Infographics-in-PowerPoint-TEMPLATES.aspx *http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/free-ppt-infographic-templates-designs-ht • Submit an 8 X 11.5 color (one page Word or pdf. document) infographic on the importance of one of the concepts found in one of the assigned websites. • Include a detailed description of the infographic and the APA references in an APA-formatted essay. The description part of the essay assignment should be written in an APA-formatted essay. The essay should be at least 750 words in length and include at least two scholarly sources other than provided materials. Assignment Expectations: Length: One-page infographic PLUS essay of 750 to 1000 words in length Structure: Infographic: One-page. Essay: Include a title page and reference page in APA format. These do not count towards the minimum word count for this assignment. Your essay must include an introduction and a conclusion. References: Use appropriate APA style in-text citations and references for all resources utilized to answer the questions. A minimum of two (2) scholarly sources are required for this assignment.Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

Pneumococcal Vaccination for Older Adults

Pneumonia is an infectious disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The disease affects various body parts, but the impact is majorly in the respiratory system. The bacteria can also leak into the bloodstream causing pneumococcal sepsis. The most profound symptoms of pneumococcal disease include chest pains, chills, cough, confusion, fever, sensitivity to light, and mental disorientation. Pneumonia is contagious as it is spread through respiratory fluids, including saliva and mucus. Some people can have these microbes in their system but not get infected with the disease. Such people are clinically referred to as carriers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately one million US adults get infected with pneumococcal pneumonia annually, with 400,000 of these cases requiring hospitalization (Gatwood et al., 2020). About 5% of the people hospitalized with the disease succumb to pneumococcal infections (Olasupo, Segal, & Brown, 2020). The disease is thus a public health concern in the US.Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

Studies have established that pneumococcal disease is the most severe acute infectious disease the US has to handle as it attacks populations indiscriminately (Gatwood et al., 2020). The disease has since been a threat to Americans’ health, recording high morbidity and mortality rates even decades into medical research and technology (Green, Moore, Mahajan, & Bajaj, 2018). A majority of the deaths resulting from pneumococcal infections are of adults aged 65 years and above. The US government uses approximately $7 billion for pneumonia-associated hospitalizations (Green, Moore, Mahajan, & Bajaj, 2018). Thus, pneumococcal infections are a public health issue that warrants the creation of awareness to cut down health costs and reduce mortality and morbidity. The impacts of pneumonia have since inspired the need for preventive measures, including vaccines. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases advises healthy adults below the age of 65 against pneumococcal vaccination.Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

Although pneumonia attacks all parts of the population indiscriminately, some people are at a greater risk of getting infected with the infections. Immuno-competent individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 stand a low risk for contracting a pneumococcal disease (Green, Moore, Mahajan, & Bajaj, 2018). Individuals with various health conditions, for instance, chronic diseases, are at greater risk of pneumonia. These conditions include asthma, diabetes, lung diseases, liver infections, HIV, multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, and obstructive pulmonary disease (Olasupo, Segal, & Brown, 2020). The degree of these diseases and infections play a vital role in the risk of infection with pneumococcal infections. Certain lifestyles also pre-expose individuals to these infections, including alcoholism and smoking. Advanced age also increases the risk since immunity tends to weaken with age (Olasupo, Segal, & Brown, 2020). As such, individuals 65 years or older ought to receive pneumococcal vaccination to reduce the chances of getting infected, increasing the quality of life.Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

While early diagnosis and treatment have proved useful for pneumococcal disease, the recovery, and survival rate for older patients is significantly low. Considering the costs incurred and the recovery rates, Pneumovax has become a public health priority in the US (Olasupo, Segal, & Brown, 2020). Vaccination against pneumonia compresses the health burden of pneumococcal infections on individuals and the general population. There are two FDA-approved vaccines against pneumonia; the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). PPSV23 is routinely administered for older adults 65 years or older (Gatwood et al., 2020). While PPSV23 comprises of 23 capsular polysaccharides of partially purified pneumococcal, PCV13 constitutes of 13 capsular polysaccharides that are covalently liked to a protein. (Olasupo, Segal, & Brown, 2020) PPSV23 is the most commonly used vaccine in the US. Studies indicate that pneumococcal vaccines have successfully reduced cases of pneumococcal infections among adults by at least 30% (Olasupo, Segal, & Brown, 2020).Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

The US FDA successfully approved pneumococcal vaccinations following sufficient safety and effectiveness laboratory and clinical tests. Both PPSV23 and PCV13 have since proven effective and safe for human consumption. The CDC recommends vaccination of adults >65 years old with PPSV23 since the infections caused by these serotypes become more familiar with advancing age (Olasupo, Segal, & Brown, 2020). However, individuals with compromised immune systems and chronic conditions are administered with PVC13 on a case by case analysis. Clinicians can resolve to give both shots on different visits for a strengthened immune response, with PVC13 preceding PPSV23 (Gatwood et al., 2020). Individuals who had received the vaccination against pneumococcal vaccines before the age of 65 are given the second shot five years after the first.Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.

Conclusion

           Bacterial pneumonia is a disease caused by Streptococcus pneumonia. The clinical presentation of the disease includes coughing, fever, and stiff necks, among others. About 1 million Americans contract pneumococcal diseases every year. The infections have a high mortality rate, with older adults constituting a majority of the population that succumbs to pneumococcal disease. The risk for contracting pneumonia is low among immune-competent individuals below the age of 65 but increases with advancing age. Considering the health burden of pneumococcal infections, vaccination has become a public health priority. The disease is immunizable and has two FDA-approved vaccines: PCV13 and PPSV23. Pneumococcal vaccines serve to reduce the medical costs incurred by the infections and the morbidity and mortality rate.Older Adult population and Preventive Screenings.