Cardiovascular Disorders Case Study Ext
Cardiovascular Disorders
Case Study 11
Scenario:
The time is 1900 hours. You are working in a small, rural hospital. It has been snowing heavily all day, and the medical helicopters at the large regional medical center, 4 hours away by car (in good weather), have been grounded by the weather until morning. The roads are barely passable. WR., a 48 year old construction worker with a 36 pack year smoking history, is admitted to your floor with a diagnosis of rule out myocardial infarction (R/O MI). He has significant male pattern obesity (beer belly, large waist circumference) and a barrel chest, and he reports a dietary history of high fat food. His wife brought him to the ED after he complained of unrelieved indigestion. His admission VS were 202/124, 96, 18, and 98.2°F. WR. Was put on O2 by nasal cannula titrated to maintain SaO2 over 90%, and an IV of nitroglycerin was started in the ED. He was also given aspirin 325 mg and was admitted to Dr. A’s service. There are plans to transfer him by helicopter to the regional medical center for a cardiac catheterization in the morning when the weather clears. Meanwhile you have to deal with limited laboratory and pharmacy resources. The minute WR. Comes through the door of your unit, he announces he’s just fine in a loud and angry voice and demands a cigarette.
1. From the perspective of basic human needs, what is the first priority in his care?
Breathing – oxygen applied to maintain SaO2 over 90%
2. Are these VS reasonable for a man his age? If not, which one(s) concern(s) you? Explain why or why not?
The BP obtained is not reasonable for a man his age. This reading denotes Stage 2 Hypertension – SBP ≥160, DBP ≥ 100. Hypertensive urgency (no evidence of target organ damage) (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Bucher, & Camera, 2011, p. 741)
3. Identify five priority problems associated with the care of a patient like W.R.
Drug Therapy
Blood Pressure
Aleviate pain
Minimize Anxiety
Monitor for s/s of
Case Study 11
Scenario:
The time is 1900 hours. You are working in a small, rural hospital. It has been snowing heavily all day, and the medical helicopters at the large regional medical center, 4 hours away by car (in good weather), have been grounded by the weather until morning. The roads are barely passable. WR., a 48 year old construction worker with a 36 pack year smoking history, is admitted to your floor with a diagnosis of rule out myocardial infarction (R/O MI). He has significant male pattern obesity (beer belly, large waist circumference) and a barrel chest, and he reports a dietary history of high fat food. His wife brought him to the ED after he complained of unrelieved indigestion. His admission VS were 202/124, 96, 18, and 98.2°F. WR. Was put on O2 by nasal cannula titrated to maintain SaO2 over 90%, and an IV of nitroglycerin was started in the ED. He was also given aspirin 325 mg and was admitted to Dr. A’s service. There are plans to transfer him by helicopter to the regional medical center for a cardiac catheterization in the morning when the weather clears. Meanwhile you have to deal with limited laboratory and pharmacy resources. The minute WR. Comes through the door of your unit, he announces he’s just fine in a loud and angry voice and demands a cigarette.
1. From the perspective of basic human needs, what is the first priority in his care?
Breathing – oxygen applied to maintain SaO2 over 90%
2. Are these VS reasonable for a man his age? If not, which one(s) concern(s) you? Explain why or why not?
The BP obtained is not reasonable for a man his age. This reading denotes Stage 2 Hypertension – SBP ≥160, DBP ≥ 100. Hypertensive urgency (no evidence of target organ damage) (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Bucher, & Camera, 2011, p. 741)
3. Identify five priority problems associated with the care of a patient like W.R.
Drug Therapy
Blood Pressure
Aleviate pain
Minimize Anxiety
Monitor for s/s of
References: Lewis, S. L., Dirksen, S. R., Heitkemper, M. M., Bucher, L., & Camera, I. M. (2011). Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems (Eighth Edition). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.