Case Background
The patient is a mild poliovirus survivor; she experienced the disease in adolescence during the 1948-1955 polio outbreaks. About two and a half months ago, the individual began to experience unusual fatigue, exhaustion, and muscle pain. Concerned about the constant worsening of these symptoms, she went to the hospital two weeks later for professional help and was diagnosed with the condition mentioned. A month ago, the person started noticing problems with breathing, swallowing, and sleeping. A week ago, a physical evaluation indicated the patient’s onset of an atrophic process.
Personal Social History
The patient is an older woman of 85 years of Caucasian origin who belongs to the middle socioeconomic stratum. She encountered polio as a teenager between the late 40s and early 50s of the last century. Because of the negative lifelong consequences, she was a homemaker for almost all her adult life. She has three children and has lived with one of them for seven years since her husband died. She is not a religious person but considers herself a spiritual one.
Current Vital Signs
Regarding vital signs, the patient shows visible fatigue, which isunusual even for her age. The physical assessment showed that she weighs 123 pounds and is 5.1 feet tall. Moreover, she has moderate breathing and swallowing problems; her respiratory rate showed a weakened breathing system. Her pulse rate is within normal range, but its strength is below average. The blood pressure assessment also showed mild hypertension. The patient’s body temperature is also slightly below the standard for people with similar physiological parameters.
Table 1 – The Patient’s Vital Signals
Pain Assessment
An elderly patient complained that she experiences constant moderate pain. On a trivial scale from one to ten, she said that six is the most appropriate number to describe her constant suffering. Earlier, she said that she easily copes with the constant aching sensation in her body. The polio survivor also complained that the feeling of pain worsens when she makes a sudden movement or effort.
Current Assessment
Nursing experts concluded that the patient’s symptoms are common to many geriatric diseases. An assessment procedure that allowed one to identify the actual condition included the following tests: additional physical examinations and a blood test. The focus was on pain, inflammation, degenerative processes in the patient’s body, and lipid characteristics. Results were linked to the polio that the older woman experienced.
Diagnosis Results
The latest evaluation confirmed the gradual deterioration of her vital signs and increasing suffering. During the check-up, incipient muscle atrophy and inflammation of the joints were established in the older adult. Analysis of bodily fluids also revealed dyslipidemia, an unusual amount of lipids in the blood. Nurses considered post-polio syndrome (PPS) as the primary diagnosis. According to Cheever et al. (2021), “clinical diagnosis is made based on the history and physical examination and exclusion of other medical conditions that could be causing the new symptoms” (p. 1822). The fact that she survived polio should always be the theoretical basis in such cases.
Pathology
Nurses told her that the current medical academic society does not know why PPS occurs. The only explanation is the body’s weakened ability to resist poliovirus associated with age and muscle overuse. Experts say, “New terminal axon sprouts reinnervate the affected muscles after the initial insult but may become more vulnerable as the body ages” (Cheever et al., 2021, p. 1822). It was explained to her that the effect of poliovirus on the human body is life-long.
Nursing Care and Medical Management
Another unpleasant fact for the patient was that PPS is incurable. A nursing care plan was developed for older women. It included therapeutic interventions that support the patient’s bodily functions, physical abilities, and psychobiological state, such as regular immunoglobulin injections. Her medical management program consisted of the individually designed number of daily activities allowed, a balanced nutrition plan, anesthetics, and medications to maintain bone mass and energy.
Reference
Cheever, K. H., Hinkle, J. L., & Overbaugh, K. (2021). Brunner & Suddarth’s textbook of medical-surgical nursing (15th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.