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Clinical Assessment Essay

Decent Essays

You are working in the internal medicine clinic of a large teaching hospital. Today your first patient is 70-year-old J.M, a man who has been coming to the clinic for several years for management of CAD and HTN. A cardiac catheterization done a year ago showed 50% stenosis of the circumflex coronary artery. He has had episodes of dizziness for the past 6 months and orthostatic hypotension, shoulder discomfort, and decreased exercise tolerance for the past 2 months. On his last clinic visit 3 weeks ago, a CXR showed cardiomegaly and a 12-lead ECG showed sinus tachycardia with left bundle branch block. You review his morning blood work and initial assessment.

Laboratory Testing:
Chemistry

H

Initial Assessment:

Complains of …show more content…

He says he would rather eat a banana everyday than take one of those pills. How will you respond?

I can appreciate your feelings on not wanting to take this “horse pill”, these medication are important for you to take, however, I cannot force you take them. I will notify the physician and in the mean time it will be important for you to eat food rich in potassium.

(Provide him education on the importance of the medications/purpose as well as the foods that he can eat to get the potassium).

10. List five suggestions you might make to teach him about lifestyle modifications and techniques he can use to prevent or minimize future problems and rational for each.

1. Heart-Healthy diet- decreasing sodium intake, increasing fluids, and eating more fruits and vegetables and other high fiber-foods.
2. Weight smart- Light exercise and weight management with help with gaining and maintain strength and monitoring for fluid retention.
3. Medication management- Adhere to medication regiment
4. Stress management- Stress increases the workload of the heart.
5. When to call the Dr.- Know the s/s of worsening or new onset of symptoms

11. You tell J.M the combination of high sodium foods he had during the past several days, might have contributed to his present episode of Heart Failure, he looks surprised. J.M said “ but I didn’t add any salt to them”. To what health care professional

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