Description
Your written assignment for this module should be a 2-3 page paper (not including title page and reference page).
A 78-year old woman is admitted to a Medical unit directly from her physician's office for evaluation and management of congestive heart failure. She has a history of systemic hypertension.
The initial assessment completed by the RN of the assigned patient reveals a pulse rate that is rapid and very irregular. The patient is restless, her skin is pale and cool, she states she is dizzy when she stands up and she is slightly short of breath and anxious. Her BP is 106/88. Her ECG monitor pattern shows uncontrolled atrial fibrillation with a heart rate ranging from 150 -170 beats/min. Her respirations are 20/min and her O2 saturation is 90%.
- Given the findings, what should be the first action of the practical nurse?
- What additional data would the practical nurse collect?
- Discuss the potential complications of cardioversion and patient preparation for an elective cardioversion. Because the length of time the patient has been in atrial fibrillation is unknown, what adverse reaction may occur?
Later that evening the patient calls the nurse because she feels "like something terrible is going to happen." She reports chest pain, has increased shortness of breath, and has coughed up blood-tinged sputum.
- Based on these symptoms, what might you suspect is happening?
- What is the first thing the practical nurse should do and what further information would you expect to be collected?
You should include a minimum of 3 references. Include a title page, in-text citations, and a reference page in APA format.
Explanation & Answer
hello, kindly find the attached completed work. Thank You.
Running head: DYSRHYTHMIA
1
Dysrhythmia
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
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DYSRHYTHMIA
Dysrhythmia
From the findings collected from the patient, the first thing that the practice nurse should
do is to have the patient sit in an upright position and provide high concentration oxygen through
a face mask. This is the primary first aid measure for heart failure because the condition tends to
disrupt oxygen transportation and supply to the heart muscles. After this, the patient should be
strictly observed and reassessed to check on her progress during the early hours of the treatment.
If the cardiac dysrhythmia is acute, the patient should be monitored in a high dependency unit
catheterization for fluid balance assessment should be used.
The practice nurse should collect additional data on the history of the patient regarding
systemic hypertension. This i...
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