1. CC: “I have been having terrible chest and arm pain for the      past 2 hours and I think I am having a heart attack.”

HPI: Mr. Hammond is a 57-year-old African American male who presents to the Emergency Department with a chief complaint of chest pain that radiates down his left arm. He states that he started having pain several hours ago and says the pain “it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest”. He rates the pain as 8/10. Nothing has made the pain better or worse. He denies any previous episode of chest pain. Denies nausea, dyspnea, or lightheadedness. He was given 0.4 mg nitroglycerine tablet sublingual x 1 which decreased, but not stopped the pain.

Lipid panel reveals Total Cholesterol 324 mg/dl, high density lipoprotein (HDL) 31 mg/dl, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) 122 mg/dl, Triglycerides 402 mg/dl, Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) 54 mg/dl

His diagnosis is an acute inferior wall myocardial infarction.

1 of 2 Questions:

Why is HDL considered the “good” cholesterol?

2 points   

QUESTION 2

1. CC: “I have been having terrible chest and arm pain for the      past 2 hours and I think I am having a heart attack.”

HPI: Mr. Hammond is a 57-year-old African American male who presents to the Emergency Department with a chief complaint of chest pain that radiates down his left arm. He states that he started having pain several hours ago and says the pain “it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest”. He rates the pain as 8/10. Nothing has made the pain better or worse. He denies any previous episode of chest pain. Denies nausea, dyspnea, or lightheadedness. He was given 0.4 mg nitroglycerine tablet sublingual x 1 which decreased, but not stopped the pain.

Lipid panel reveals Total Cholesterol 324 mg/dl, high density lipoprotein (HDL) 31 mg/dl, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) 122 mg/dl, Triglycerides 402 mg/dl, Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) 54 mg/dl

His diagnosis is an acute inferior wall myocardial infarction.

2 of 2 Questions:

Explain the role inflammation has in the development of atherosclerosis.

3 points   

QUESTION 3

1. A 45-year-old woman with a history of systemic lupus      erythematosus (SLE) presents to the Emergency Room (ER) with complaints of      sharp retrosternal chest pain that worsens with deep breathing or lying      down. She reports a 3-day history of low-grade fever, listlessness and      says she feels like she had the flu. Physical exam reveals tachycardia and      a pleural friction rub. She was diagnosed with acute pericarditis.

Question:

What does the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) recognize as the result of the pleural friction rub?

1 points   

QUESTION 4

1. A 15-year-old adolescent male comes to the clinic with his      parents with a chief complaint of fever, nausea, vomiting, poorly      localized abdominal pain, arthralgias, and “swollen lymph nodes”. States      he has felt “lousy” for a couple weeks. The fevers have been as high as      102 F. His parents thought he had the flu and took him to an Urgent Care      Center. He was given Tamiflu® and sent home. He says the Tamiflu didn’t      seem to work. States had a slight sore throat a couple weeks ago and      attributed it to the flu. Physical exam revealed thin young man who      appears to be uncomfortable but not acutely ill. Posterior pharynx      reddened and tonsils 3+ without exudate. + anterior and posterior cervical      lymphadenopathy. Tachycardic and a new onset 2/6 high-pitched,      crescendo-decrescendo systolic ejection murmur auscultated at the left      sternal border. Rapid strep +. The patient was diagnosed with acute      rheumatic heart disease (RHD).

Question:

Explain how a positive strep test has caused the patient’s symptoms.

1 points   

QUESTION 5

1. The APRN sees a 74-year-old obese female patient who is 2 days      post-op after undergoing left total hip replacement. The patient has had      severe post op nausea and vomiting and has been unable to go to physical      therapy. Her mucus membranes are dry. The patient says she feels like the      skin on her left leg is too tight. Exam reveals a swollen, tense, and red      colored calf. The patient has a duplex ultrasound which reveals the      presence of a deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

Question:

Describe the factors that could have contributed to the development of a DVT in this patient explain how each of the factors could cause DVT.

1 points   

QUESTION 6

1. A 45-year-old woman is 10 days status post partial small bowel      resection for Crohn Disease and has been recuperating at home. She      suddenly develops severe shortness of breath, becomes weak, and her blood      pressure drops to 80/40 mmHg (previous readings ~130/80s mmHg). The pulse      oximetry is 89% on room air. The APRN suspects the patient experienced a      massive pulmonary embolus.

Question:

Explain why a large pulmonary embolus interferes with oxygenation.

1 points   

QUESTION 7

1. A 45-year-old woman is 10 days status post partial small bowel      resection for Crohn Disease and has been recuperating at home. She      suddenly develops severe shortness of breath, becomes weak, and her blood      pressure drops to 80/40 mmHg (previous readings ~130/80s mmHg). The pulse      oximetry is 89% on room air. While waiting for the Emergency Medical      Service (EMS) to arrive, the APRN places EKG leads and the EKG      demonstrates right ventricular strain.

Question:

Explain why a large pulmonary embolism causes right ventricular strain.

1 points   

QUESTION 8

1. A 12-year-old girl is brought to the Emergency Room (ER) by      her mother with complaints of shortness of breath, wheezing, tachypnea,      tachycardia, and a non-productive cough. The mother states they had just      come from a fall festival where the entire family enjoyed a hayride. The      symptoms began shortly after they left the festival but got better a      couple hours after they returned home. The symptoms began again about 6      hours later and seem to be worse. The mother states there is no history of      allergies or frequent respiratory infections. The child is up to date on      all vaccinations. The child was diagnosed with asthma. The nurse      practitioner explained to the mother that her child was exhibiting      symptoms of asthma, and probably had an early asthmatic response and a      late asthmatic response.

Question 1 of 2:

Explain early asthmatic responses and the cells responsible for the responses.

2 points   

QUESTION 9

1. A 12-year-old girl is brought to the Emergency Room (ER) by      her mother with complaints of shortness of breath, wheezing, tachypnea,      tachycardia, and a non-productive cough. The mother states they had just      come from a fall festival where the entire family enjoyed a hayride. The      symptoms began shortly after they left the festival but got better a      couple hours after they returned home. The symptoms began again about 6      hours later and seem to be worse. The mother states there is no history of      allergies or frequent respiratory infections. The child is up to date on      all vaccinations. The child was diagnosed with asthma. The nurse      practitioner explained to the mother that her child was exhibiting      symptoms of asthma, and probably had an early asthmatic response and a      late asthmatic response.

Question 2 of 2:

Explain late asthmatic responses and the cells responsible for the responses.

2 points   

QUESTION 10

1. A 64-year-old man with a 40 pack/year history of cigarette      smoking has been diagnosed with emphysema.  He asks the APRN if this      means he has COPD.

Question 1 of 2:

Explain the pathophysiology of emphysema and how it relates to COPD.

2 points   

QUESTION 11

1. A 64-year-old man with a 40 pack/year history of cigarette      smoking has been diagnosed with emphysema.  He asks the APRN if this      means he has COPD.

Question 2 of 2:

Explain the pathophysiology of chronic bronchitis and how it relates to COPD.

     

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 12

1. Mr. Jones is a 78-year-old gentleman who presents to the      clinic with a chief complaint of fever, chills and cough. He also reports      some dyspnea. He has a history of right sided CVA, COPD, dyslipidemia, and      HTN. Current medications include atorvastatin 40 mg po qhs, lisinopril,      and fluticasone/salmeterol. He reports more use of his albuterol rescue      inhaler.

Vital signs Temp 101.8 F, pulse 108, respirations 21. PaO2 on room air 86% and on O2 4 L nasal canula 94%. CMP WNL, WBC 18.4. Physical exam reveals thin, anxious gentleman with mild hemiparesis on left side due to CVA. HEENT WNL except for diminished gag reflex and uneven elevation of the uvula, CV-HR 108 RRR without murmurs, rubs, or click, no bruits. Resp-coarse rhonchi throughout lung fields. CXR reveals consolidation in right lower lobe. He was diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Question:

Patient was hypoxic as evidenced by the low PaO2. Explain the pathologic processes that caused this patient’s hypoxemia.

  

1 points   

QUESTION 13

1. A 64-year-old woman with moderately severe COPD comes to the      pulmonary clinic for her quarterly checkup. The APRN reviewing the chart      notes that the patient has lost 5% of her body weight since her last      visit. The APRN questions the patient and patient admits to not having      much of an appetite and she also admits to missing some meals because it      “takes too much work” to cook and consume dinner.

Question:

The APRN recognizes that COPD has a deleterious effect on patients. Explain why patients with COPD are at risk for malnutrition.

  

1 points   

Compare vulnerable populations. Describe an example of one of these groups in the United States or from another country. Explain why the population is designated as “vulnerable.” Include the number of individuals belonging to this group and the specific challenges or issues involved. Discuss why these populations are unable to advocate for themselves, the ethical issues that must be considered when working with these groups, and how nursing advocacy would be beneficial.  

 

Asthma and Stepwise Management

Asthma is a respiratory disorder that affects children and adults. Advanced practice nurses often provide treatment to patients with these disorders. Sometimes patients require immediate treatment, making it essential that you recognize and distinguish minor asthma symptoms from serious, life-threatening ones. Since symptoms and attacks are often induced by a trigger, advanced practice nurses must also help patients identify their triggers and recommend appropriate management options. Like many other disorders, there are various approaches to treating and managing care for asthmatic patients depending on individual patient factors.  

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One method that supports the clinical decision making of drug therapy plans for asthmatic patients is the stepwise approach, which you explore in this Assignment.

To Prepare

• Reflect on drugs used to treat asthmatic patients, including long-term control and quick relief treatment options for patients. Think about the impact these drugs might have on patients, including adults and children.
• Consider how you might apply the stepwise approach to address the health needs of a patient in your practice.
• Reflect on how stepwise management assists health care providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease.

By Day 7 of Week 3

Create a  6-slide PowerPoint presentation that can be used in a staff development meeting on presenting different approaches for implementing the stepwise approach for asthma treatment. Be sure to address the following:

• Describe long-term control and quick relief treatment options for the asthma patient from your practice as well as the impact these drugs might have on your patient.
• Explain the stepwise approach to asthma treatment and management for your patient.
• Explain how stepwise management assists health care providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease. Be specific.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was aimed at improving our health care system in three main area. These include expansion of consumer protections, reducing the health care costs, and strengthening Medicare. ACA institutes different measures, new rules, and tougher sentences for crimes related to abuse, fraud, and waste. The prevention of fraud, abuse, and waste is not only the responsibility of the government agencies but also involves the providers and suppliers (Clemente et al., 2018). One of the measures that are being implemented in my health care organization is enforcing strict billing policies. The organization focuses on improving the medical billing and coding processes. This is because the clinical documentation is used the basis upon which payers reimburse providers for their services (Clemente et al., 2018). The organization implemented electronic documentation as a second measure for preventing fraud and abuse. Inappropriate and inaccurate coding and documentation can lead to potential health care fraud and abuse investigations. In addition, the facility has enforced stringent screening and enrollment requirements for new providers and suppliers. The procedure involves screening processes for medical providers and suppliers including licensure checks, fingerprinting, and criminal background checks to assess the integrity of the providers and supplier (McGee, Sandridge, Treadway, Vance, & Coustasse, 2018s.

References

Clemente, S., McGrady, R., Repass, R., Paul III, D. P., & Coustasse, A. (2018). Medicare and the affordable care act: fraud control efforts and results. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 11(4), 356-362.

McGee, J., Sandridge, L., Treadway, C., Vance, K., & Coustasse, A. (2018). Strategies for fighting Medicare fraud. The Health Care Manager, 37(2), 147-154. doi:10.1097/hcm.0000000000000204