How Cardiac Rehabilitation Can Help Heal Your Heart - Essay Example

Case Study: Mrs J.

Introduction

Pathopsychology is the study for a tangled psychological process that results from, causes, or associated with an injury or disease. The case study on Mrs J provides us with the medical history and the health medication of the patient. This information will help evaluate the health condition of the patient and the necessary interventions. From the case study, we can see that Mrs. J has a history of hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure.

Clinical Manifestations

Increased temperature can result in a high fever, and she had also complained of nausea, malaise, and a productive cough. Mrs. J cannot perform her daily chores, and she has been restless in the last few days. Being unable to get enough air as Mrs. J had said shows that she has asthma. Additionally, she gets tired quickly, making her unable to drink or eat what she pleases. This information tells us that the patient might suffer from headache, dizziness, nose bleeding in the days to come. She may also become weak, fatigue and her legs, ankles and feet might swell.

Nursing Intervention

Proper assessment of Mrs. J would have been the best course of action once she was being admitted to determine the actual problem and the best treatment. Healthcare providers must carry out a systematic assessment of persons with heart failure before interventions or planning care. This includes identifying the actual reason for heart failure, present clinical status, possible risk factors, aggravating issues, and her quality of life. Mrs. J’s condition should have been properly assessed, an appropriate plan taken and educated on the seriousness of the problem. An effective management plan that should have been made to check her pulmonary crackles and evaluation of why the patient breath sounds strange.

The patient should use a non-breather mask for her oxygen to upsurge the SpO2, where the 2L/NC as prescribed are appropriate as the shortness of breath is not severe. Lasix, as prescribed, is relevant as it will help treat excessive fluid accumulation triggered by congestive heart failure. Enalapril or Vasotec is suitable for treating heart failure. Metoprolol should not have been prescribed to the patient as it is used to low blood pressure, but the PB of Mrs. J needs to be increased. Morphine is correctly prescribed as it will help treat how the body feels and reduce pain. Short-acting bronchodilators are fast relievers and will ease the patient’s sudden asthma attacks at home. Flovent HFA will help prevent asthma attacks on Mrs. J.

Cardiovascular conditions that may lead to heart failure

The coronary artery is the first cardiovascular condition that can cause heart failure. This occurs when fatty and cholesterol deposits build up in the arteries making less blood reach the heart. This results in angina or heart attacks. In some cases, it may contribute to high blood pressure that leads to heart failure. Nursing interventions for coronary artery include controlled blood pressure, healthy diet, and reduced cholesterol, no smoking, minimal use of alcohol, exercise, and having a healthy weight. Myocardial infarction may also lead to heart failure. This happens when an artery supplying blood to the heart is blocked. Uncontrolled high blood pressure may develop heart failure. Nursing interventions on myocardial infraction include administration of aspirin, sublingual nitroglycerin, and obtaining a 12-lead EKG. High pressure in the blood vessels makes the heart to pump harder, and eventually, the heart chambers become weaker and broader. A nursing intervention to lower the blood pressure may include stress reduction, healthy diet, and exercise, and weight loss, reduction of sodium in food, quit smoking and stop caffeine intake. Lastly, abnormal heart valves caused by infectious diseases, or at birth may cause heart failure. Diuretics are one type of medication that can be used to treat abnormal heart valves. In severe cases, surgery may be performed.

Nursing interventions to prevent problems caused by multiple drug interactions

Multiple drugs interactions, as used by Mrs. J, can cause problems, and thus interventions are required. The care provider should identify possibly unsuitable medication by the use of the CMS guideline and the Beers criteria. These two criteria are used by medical professionals to improve the safety of the medication prescribed to the patient. Secondly, nurses should use the Hamdy questions in deciding the medicines that should be discontinued in a medication review. The Hamdy questions will help answer whether the drugs are appropriate and when to terminate them. Thirdly, if possible, the practitioner should prescribe drugs that need once-a-day dosing. This will help reduce the number of medications taken by the patient. Lastly, clinicians should review medicines with all the new patients after every six months and when there are changes in medication. This will help determine whether there are any side effects and change the medicine when appropriate.

A health promotion and restoration teaching plan

Mrs. J should join a cardiac rehab program for health promotion. This is a managed program that entails physical exercises, education on healthy living such as taking the prescribed medicine and eating healthy, and counselling to develop mental health and relieve stress. Cardiac health has a team of medical professionals such as dietitians, COPD educators, and physiotherapists. This rehabilitation resource will help Mrs. J transition to independence by building healthier habits such as not smoking. Additionally, it will minimize chest pain, reduce weight, reduce stress, increase strength and energy, and prevent future heart failure (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, 2017).

A method for providing education regarding medications for Mrs. J

The best method of giving medication for Mrs. J is through including a family member. From the case study, she is married, which means she has a husband or any other family member available. This improves the chances that prescription and instructions on medication will be followed. Additionally, first-rate instruction advances patient outcome intensely (Lippincott Solution, 2017).

COPD triggers

COPD triggers that can cause an exacerbation to include continued tobacco smoking, anxiety, and lack of sleep, weather changes and excessive physical exertion. With the current and the history of Mrs. J smoking habits, some of the medication for smoking cessation comprise a therapy for nicotine replacement. This includes the use of gum, patch, inhaler, nasal spray, or lozenge. Additionally, she can use clonidine or nortriptyline

Conclusion

The interventions above will help Mrs. J get the necessary treatment on hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure. She may have asthma, and thus she should quit smoking. Being overweight is also a trigger for heart failure. Planned exercise through a cardiac rehab program will go a long way in improving the health condition of Mrs. J.

Reference

Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention. (2017). How Cardiac Rehabilitation Can Help Heal Your Heart. https://www.cdc.gov/features/cardiac-rehabilitation/index.html

Lippincott Solution. (2017). 5 Strategies for Providing Effective Patient Education. http://lippincottsolutions.lww.com/blog.entry.html/2017/08/22/5_strategies_forpro-kDDq.html

Viniol, C., & Vogelmeier, C. F. (2018). Exacerbations of COPD. European Respiratory Review, 27(147).