Anatomy and Physiology-Case Study #1
Dr. Jeremy Aldritch examined the four-month-old infant that had been admitted to
Barnes-Jewish Hospital earlier in the day. The baby's parents, Jayne and David
Horowitz, had brought young Alvin to the emergency room because he had been
suffering from a chronic cough and diarrhea for almost a week. In addition, they said that
Alvin sometimes would "wheeze" a lot more than they thought was normal for a child
with a cold. Their pediatrician had told them that Alvin had a cold and would be better in
a few days.
Upon arriving at the emergency room, the attending pediatrician detected a possible ear
infection and noted that salt crystals were present on Alvin's skin. An abnormal thick and
sticky sputum sample was also collected. When the pediatrician asked about the babies
bowel movements, the parents said that the baby exhibited very irregular bowel
movements, with up to five days in between each. Chest auscultation revealed the
presence of rhonchi in the right upper lobe (RUL) of the lung. The attending pediatrician
had Alvin admitted immediately and called Dr. Aldritch, a pediatric pulmonologist.
After Dr. Aldritch completed his examination, he asked Alvin's parents to sit with him in
his office to discuss Alvin's situation.
Upon discussion, Dr. Aldritch wanting to conduct a genetic test of alvin’s parents. Also,
the physician prescribed pancreatic enzymes to be given to the infant after each feeding.
The physician also demonstrated how Alvin’s parents could utilize physiotherapy daily,
to help their infants condition. An finally, Dr. Aldritch informed the parents that the
likelyhood of their child surviving past the age of 20 was remote.
Note: Each of the below listed questions need to be anwered thoroughly, I expect a small
paragraph for each.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What disease does the infant have? State your rational. (6 pts)
Why does the infant have irregular bowel movements? (4 pts)
Why is the infant’s sputum so sticky? (4 pts)
Explain why there are salt crytals on the skin of the infant. (4 pts)
What is the purpose of providing the infant with physiotherapy? (4 pts)
Why does the doctor prescribe pancreatic enzymes, and what symptoms with this
fix? (4 pts)
7. Explain the signifiance of a DNA test for both parents. (4 pts)