Patient Health Conditions
When assessing a patient’s health and identifying their current and at-risk conditions, a nurse should ensure accurate identification and consecutive interpretation of subjective and objective data. In particular, in the case of Mr. M., a 70-year-old male patient, the subjective data describing his health status includes forgetfulness, anger, irritation, and confusion. The patient does not smoke or consume alcohol; Mr. M. has difficulty performing his everyday life activities and occasionally was found wandering around a facility, being lost or confused. Objectively, the patient has a history of hypercholesterolemia, hypertension managed by inhibitor medications, and a post-surgical status. The patient’s state has rapidly deteriorated over the past two months, which requires additional assessment.
Primary and Secondary Medical Diagnoses
Given the laboratory and observation results characterizing Mr. M.’s condition, the primary medical diagnosis is Alzheimer’s disease. It is based on the identified symptoms of memory loss and confusion (Breijyeh & Karaman, 2020, p. 2). In terms of the nursing diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, the patient experiences difficulty performing daily activities, becomes dependent on family members or caregivers, as well as might demonstrate speech and perception deterioration (Breijyeh & Karaman, 2020, pp. 2-3). Another primary diagnosis is urinary tract infection, which is validated by the presence of an elevated level of white blood cells in Mr. M.s blood as well as the increased level of leukocytes and cloudy characteristics in his urinalysis (Burton et al., 2019, p. 3). The nursing diagnosis for urinary tract infection includes trouble sleeping, aggressiveness, and possible pain.
The third primary medical diagnosis for Mr. M. is hypercholesterolemia which is demonstrated by his current elevated cholesterol level present in his laboratory test results, indicating Protein: 7.1 g/dL; AST: 32 U/L; ALT 29 U/L. In terms of nursing diagnosis, hypercholesterolemia is characterized by high blood pressure, although the patient might feel no evident symptoms (Lacaze et al., 2020, p. 1). The secondary medical diagnosis is hypertension, the history of which is present in the patient, but no significant current indications of elevated blood pressure are observed. The nursing diagnosis might include disruption of the heart’s functioning, sleep disturbance, and cognitive function deterioration (Sierra, 2020, p. 1). Thus, the information available on the patient and the above-mentioned conditions should be treated and managed to ensure Mr. M.’s quality of life.
Abnormalities
When conducting a nursing assessment of the patient, the following abnormalities might be encountered. Firstly, when assessing for Alzheimer’s disease, Mr. M.’s condition is characterized by abnormal memory functioning, which is validated by the confusion and memory loss he has been experiencing (Breijyeh & Karaman, 2020). Secondly, the abnormalities characterizing the urinary tract infection’s identification include the abnormal level of leukocytes in his blood and urine. Thirdly, the abnormality associated with hypercholesterolemia is the increased level of cholesterol and the deterioration of cardiac function. Finally, the hypertensive condition might be characterized by abnormal cognitive performance due to increased blood pressure.
Physical, Psychological, and Emotional Effects and Impact on the Family
The conditions identified in Mr. M. might lead to negative physical manifestations, such as difficulty walking, performing physical activities, and living an independent life in terms of common daily activity completion. Psychologically, the patient might feel helpless, experience complexities with self-identification due to the symptoms of dementia, and undergo psychological challenges of dealing with the burden of aging and health deterioration. Emotional issues arise due to forgetfulness, irritation, aggressiveness, and fear that the patient experiences and which might worsen if the conditions under diagnoses are not properly managed (Breijyeh & Karaman et al., 2020, pp. 2-4; Sierra, 2020, p. 1). In addition to the effects directly on the patient, Mr. M.s family and caregivers might be challenged physically and emotionally due to the patient’s dependence on their daily assistance.
Interventions for Support
To minimize the burden of the patient’s condition’s implications, a nurse should introduce several supporting interventions. In particular, “physical activity can improve the brain health and reduce AD by activating the brain vascularization, plasticity, neurogenesis, and reducing inflammation” (Breijyeh & Karaman, 2020, p. 14). Thus, nurses might accompany and assist the patient in physical activity to improve the symptoms and facilitate cognitive functions. Pharmacology is an important element of the patient’s management of cholesterol, blood pressure, and brain function under the impact of the diagnosed issues. Furthermore, community-based support groups might be positive supporting interventions for Mr. M. In addition, family support groups and psychoeducational sessions for the family might benefit the patient in terms of stabilizing his psychological well-being (Cheng et al., 2019, pp. 984-985). Thus, the implementation of these interventions might be helpful in supporting the patient and family in health issues management and maintenance of the quality of life while aging.
Actual and Potential Problems
Firstly, Alzheimer’s disease is a probable actual problem that should be properly treated using pharmacology to avoid complications. Proper management of the disease will minimize the risks of rapid deterioration and the development of more severe manifestations of dementia (Breijyeh & Karaman, 2020). Secondly, urinary tract infection is a current problem that should be treated to minimize t ultimate failure of renal function (Burton et al., 2019, p. 4). Thirdly, a potential problem that might be caused by high cholesterol and blood pressure is cardiovascular disease, which is justified by the complexities of blood flow and heart function in a long-term perspective (Lacaze et al., 2020, p. 1). Finally, stroke is another potential problem that Mr. M. is at risk of due to the high risks of this issue in patients with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (Sierra, 2020, p. 2). Conclusively, the identified current and potential issues detected in Mr. M.’s case should be addressed within the scope of assessment and treatment to eliminate the risks of his health deterioration.
References
Breijyeh, Z., & Karaman, R. (2020). Comprehensive review on Alzheimer’s disease: causes and treatment. Molecules, 25(24), 1-28. Web.
Burton, R. J., Albur, M., Eberl, M., & Cuff, S. M. (2019). Using artificial intelligence to reduce diagnostic workload without compromising the detection of urinary tract infections. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 19(1), 1-11. Web.
Lacaze, P., Sebra, R., Riaz, M., Hooper, A. J., Tiller, J., Bakshi, A., Woods, R. L., Tonkin, A. M., Reid, C. M., Murray, A. M., Nicholls, S. J., Watts, G. F., Schadt, E., & McNeil, J. J. (2020). Familial hypercholesterolemia in a healthy elderly population. Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, 13(4), e002938. Web.
Cheng, S. T., Chan, W. C., & Lam, L. C. (2019). Long-term outcomes of the benefit-finding group intervention for Alzheimer family caregivers: A cluster-randomized double-blind controlled trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27(9), 984-994. Web.
Sierra, C. (2020). Hypertension and the risk of dementia. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 7(5), 1-7. Web.