Diabetes as a Medical, Psychiatric, Psychological, and Social Phenomenon - Case Study Example

Diabetes Case Study This paper encompasses a case study. The details of the case study under perusal include the In this case we areconcerned with a 71 year old female who attends for routine podiatric care. The subject reveals to the podiatrist she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 6 years ago, and started taking medication for hypertension 2 years ago. A case study is a detailed analysis of a person or group, especially as a model of medical, psychiatric, psychological, or social phenomena. The case study is one of several ways of doing social science research. Other ways include experiments, surveys, multiple histories, and analysis of archival information. (Yin 2003). Rather than using large samples and following a rigid protocol to examine a limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies lend themselves to both generating and testing hypotheses (Flyvbjerg, 2006). Published patient case reports provide essential sources of information for the optimum care of patients because case reports can describe important scientific c observations that are missed or are undetectable in clinical trials, provide insightful information that expands our knowledge and spawns new research, and provide information that strays from the classical textbook case and leads to better and safer patient care. (DeBakey L, DeBakey S. 1993 p 64) Introduction The patient the case study is concerned with is a 71 yr old female. For purposes of the case report she will be referred to as patient Y. Patient Y attends for routine podiatric care. Patient Y reports the medications that she regularly takes for various medical reasons, to be explained later in the case study are, Asprin, Atenol, Benrofluazide, Tildiem, Metformin and Glipizide. Patient Y reported to the podiatrist that she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 6 years ago. Patient Y further reported to the podiatrist that she began taking medication for hypertension 2 years ago. Patient Y also reported that recently her diabetic control has been very poor. The patient also reported at this rime that and her General Practitioner informed her that it is possible that she may need to have insulin introduced into her regime. ' Case report History Patient X's history is relevant and special attention is required when taking new medications into consideration. Control of Patient X's diabetes has of recent not been very successful. Her General Practitioner has recently advised Patient X that she may need to have insulin introduced into her regime. Also relevant to her history that Patient X started taking medication for hypertension 2 years ago. The Case Study will examine the current medications and side effects and interactions of them to treat Patient X's diabetes and hypertension. Her age, 71, is also significant when considering her medications. Investigations Expert opinion: Blood pressure should be measured at every routine diabetes visit. Patients found to have systolic blood pressure 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 80 mmHg should have blood pressure confirmed on a separate day. Orthostatic measurement of blood pressure should be performed to assess for the presence of autonomic neuropathy. A-Level evidence: Patients with diabetes should be treated to a diastolic blood pressure Read More