Evidence-based practice nursing interventions and treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus pain. Fatigue. Skin rashes. Depression. These are some of the manifestations associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide, of which 80% are women aged between 15 and 45 (Tretheway, 2004). Systemic lupus erythematosus is a disease in which the body literally attacks itself. For unknown reasons, the organism loses the ability to recognize cells or tissues as its own and treats them as foreign, triggering a defensive immune response (Ignatavicius, 2010). SLE is a complex, chronic and progressive disease, which can lead to many complications and can be fatal. Proper treatment and management of multiple manifestations as soon as they arise can avoid further complications or damage to other body systems. Levels of Care Primary Care As with any patient, the appropriate measures to take to prevent systemic lupus erythematosus are the goal of primary health promotion. When considering primary measures it is important to educate the patient on multiple aspects that influence their life. Primary health promotion that applies to everyone includes teaching a healthy lifestyle, choosing nutritional foods, safety measures when participating in certain activities, such as wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle or wearing protective gear solar when exposed to the sun and, above all, advise and encourage the patient to undergo routine check-ups, regular tests and screenings as well as receiving appropriate vaccinations. A more personalized approach for primary care would be to control or limit exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace or at home, which leads to the second... half of the article... Oral Medicine, 35(1 ), 5-13. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from the CINAHL database Ignatavicius, DD (2010). Medical-surgical nursing: Patient-centered collaborative care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier Pagana. KD and Pagana. TJ (2010). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Testing (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier Tretheway, P. (2004). Systemic lupus erythematosus. Dimensions of critical care nursing, 23(3), 111-115. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from the CINAHL database. Vazquez, Y. R. (2011). Evidence-based nursing interventions for systemic lupus erythematosus in middle-aged women. Unpublished research paper, Central Arizona College, Coolidge, AZ.Wheeler, T. (2010). Systemic lupus erythematosus: the basics of nursing care. British Journal of Nursing (BJN), 19(4), 249-253. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from the CINAHL database.