Congestive Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy - Essay Example

"Congestive Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy" is a worthy example of a paper on the cardiovascular system.
It is evident that Mr. P’s case of congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy is at an advanced stage. Essentially, the congestive heart failure condition causes the blood to rush back to the lungs because the heart cannot function properly (Hosenpud & Greenberg, 2007). It could lead to the weakening and enlarging of the heart and trigger a sudden cardiac arrest. On the other hand, his cardiomyopathy condition implies that his heart is weak. While congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy are closely associated, they are not always linked. However, the possibility of the link in Mr. P is very high. The patient exhibits the symptoms of both conditions such as trouble in breathing and swelling.

 Approach to care will first entail the appropriate diagnosis which is clear in this case. Since the patient already suffers from polypharmacy, the best approach would be to pursue alternative approaches. There can also be the use of surgery to correct the abnormal heart components and well as less invasive measures to correct blockages. Mr. P is despondent as care should also focus on stress management since it is a lifestyle driver of the conditions. Patient care should also entail a modest exercise session.

Treatment Plan

The heart condition of the patient is quite advanced and the treatment plan focus would be to improve the heart functioning. The first option is to prevent the worsening of the symptoms. For this, regular exercise is the right choice. 2- 3 sessions of modest exercise will offer Mr. P a better chance of handling the symptoms especially the swelling. Since the patient has trouble with maintaining a diet and polypharmacy, the treatment option will consider the use of surgically implanted devices to help the heart work better. A pacemaker and a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device are the options for assisting the functioning of the heart (Schultheiss & Kapp, 2006).

For stress management, therapy is the right approach. Sessions between the physician and the patient to help relieve them of a buildup of negative emotions from the effects of the conditions will reduce the risks of sudden attacks.

Learning Method

A viable learning method for the patient and family is the use of videotapes or parallel technology. The only requisite material is a facilitating technology such as a computer or DVD player to aid the display of information. The video instructions or enclosed material is to be as simple as possible for the elderly patient and family member. The rationale for this choice considers that the patient and his wife are in no position to make trips to the hospitals or to support groups. While the method offers no direct means of evaluating the progress, it is the most appropriate since the video can be tailored to meet the needs of the patient. It is less costly and fully considers the financial stress of Mr. P and his wife.

Teaching Plan

To ensure the precise delivery and success of the method, the videotapes by the physician will be made as simple as possible and sent to the patient’s premises. There will be an open communication line to obtain the feedback and conduct and evaluation to assess its usefulness. There will be an initial one on one meeting with the patient to explain how they work. It is after the patient learns about a particular aspect of his condition that another videotape will be released to address another topic.