Katlyn Phillips Chamberlain University Adult Health I: NR324 Professor Russel 4/13/2024.
RUA: Case Study Our patient R.K. is a 68-year-old caucasian woman who presents to the health care clinic with weight gain, fatigue, dyspnea with exertion, non-productive cough, and nocturnal dyspnea. She states “I wake up throughout the night feeling like I am drowning and I have to sit up for a few minutes before I can go back to sleep”. Health History R.K. has had two separate myocardial infarctions throughout the last few years. She has a history of smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease. R.K. has been overweight for the majority of her life and does not regularly …show more content…
R.K. currently takes simvastatin for cholesterol, indapamide for hypertension, and losartan. Laboratory/Diagnostic Testing Initially, R.K. was given an electrocardiogram and a chest x-ray. The ECG and chest x-ray confirmed that R.K. was experiencing left-sided heart failure. R.K. was prescribed furosemide and sent home from the healthcare clinic. R.K. decided to stop the furosemide due to frequent urination, she then reported to the Emergency Department with chest pain and shortness of breath and was admitted to the acute care step-down unit. An ECG and chest x-ray were performed. A blood test was done to monitor CK-MB, troponin, serum electrolytes, PT, and INR levels. R.K. had a PT of 12.2 seconds, INR of 1.2, aPTT of 35 seconds, BNP of 856, and CK-MB of 8.2%. Blood tests can help diagnose diseases that can affect the heart. Blood tests can also look for a specific protein made by the heart and blood vessels. In heart failure, the level of this protein goes up. Chest X-ray images can show the condition of the lungs and heart. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) This quick and painless test …show more content…
It can show how fast or how slowly the heart is beating”(Mayo Clinic, 2023). Collaborative Care Management “A multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach in the management of HF is a key recommendation in recent guidelines, receiving a Class 1A recommendation in the European Society of Cardiology guidelines to reduce mortality and HF hospitalization and a Class 1B recommendation in the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association guidelines”(Weinstein et al., 2022). R.K. should receive care from a team of providers collaborating to provide the most beneficial comprehensive care using a holistic approach. Ideally, the patient will have a team of providers that includes a primary care physician, cardiologist, dietician, physical and occupational therapists, geriatrician, counseling services, case manager, and home health care providers. The primary care physician should initiate and manage the collaborative care team while the cardiologist monitors and treats heart failure. A dietician will be beneficial in providing patient-specific meal plans and dietary prescriptions, occupational therapists should be utilized to maintain maximal function, and case managers and counselors should promote the use of local resources and help the patient maintain a healthy mindset. Healthcare