Nursing Case Study
The first concern is that Mrs. Baker is taking a new drug that has side effects such as she is experiencing. Although the other high blood pressure medication has similar side effects (Drugs.com, 2012), she has been taking it for a long period of time and should not be experiencing as much difficulty. It seems germane to ask her how long she has been taking the hydrochlorothiazide though. One of the first thoughts is how well do the two medications work together, which is something her doctor understands, and if she can have an increase in side effects because of the increase in medication. The second question the symptoms, especially the fact that she seemed "confused and beside herself" on the phone, is to determine if there are other symptoms of stroke. Her breathing difficulties could be a symptom of the medication, and so could the confusion, but it is pertinent to look at other difficulties that she may be having.
The fact that she becomes unresponsive after answering a few questions is a grave concern. It is necessary, obviously to somehow provide more oxygen because she is obviously not able to process enough herself. She needs to have oxygen, which is...
The tools to use during the initial part of the assessment are limited because she is in obvious physical distress and needs to be put on oxygen right away. However, it other tools need to be quickly implemented to further assist the patient. It is necessary to immediately her O2 saturation also, so it is necessary to use either the finger cuff or an another type of sensing machine. The benefit of this machine is that it will provide the staff with information about how the patent is processing oxygen.
C. The first part of data collection has to be what is immediately seen from the patient when she walks in the door. She is obviously short of breath, so this has to be the first priority. Second, she seems confused and she passes out during the assessment, so this indicates that she may be having some type of reaction to a med or some other immediate issue such as a stroke. Because of her age and the fact that she is taking blood pressure medication, it is necessary to look at all conditions that could be related to her health in that regard. Finally, the nurse needs to determine how long she has been taking…
