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Journal

After completing the Shadow Health modules on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, choose one abnormal finding in your patient’s assessment. Analyze the assessment finding and discuss the potential health risks associated with it. Using the Healthy People 2020 Topic and Objectives list of potential health promotion topics, discuss a potential patient education handout you would propose to use for health promotion for risk. Considering the health literacy resources provided in this module and the Wilson (2009) article, what factors will you consider in evaluating the readability of health education resources for your patient?

Cardiovascular Assessment performed

-Abnormal findings of Ms Jones include: After Inspection of her Right Lower Extremity, her right leg is noted with 1+ meaning slight pitting edema while her left left has no edema or visible abnormal findings. Upon Palpation of her Right Tibial Pulse and her Right Dorsalis Pedis Pulse I observed No Thrill but pulse is 1+ indicating Diminished or barely palpable pulses.

– Chest Inspection – symmetric with no visible abnormal findings.

– All other assessments such as Palpation bilaterally of all other Pulses throughout the body, Auscultaion of Pulses and Heart sounds, and Inspection of Jugular Venous Distention all came back normal with no abnormal findings.

-Ms. Jones is a 28 year old African American whom presented to Shadow General hospital with a wound to the bottom of her right foot that has increasingly gotten worse (swollen, puffy, pus discharge)

-She voiced no heart issues, no heart surgeries no cholesterol or high blood pressure issues

Weighs about 195 lbs

-Assessed her BP at a CVS store on her own which read 140 over 80 or 90 as she said.

-She has family history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol

-Never has issues with swelling only to her right foot where wound is present.

-Wound has inhibited her from walking for 3 days and since coming to hospital she’s been in the hospital bed since.

• Integrate the components of a system-specific health assessment
• Implement data collection techniques in a system-specific health assessment
• Analyze health assessment findings to promote health education

Journal: Health Promotion

Based on the information presented, it is evident that Ms. Tina Jones, a 28-year-old patient is experiencing expiratory wheezing which is heard on the posterior right and left lower lobes following the auscultation. This is an indication that there is a narrowing of the airways of the patient when breathing, the airways of the patient has been obstructed. The condition of the patient might have been triggered by factors such as upper respiratory infections, colds, allergies such as mold, pollen, and the dust mites, cats and dogs, tobacco smoke, dry air, exercise, and the gastro-esophageal reflux illness.

The wheezing of the patient is a result of the inflammation of the throat or lungs and it is heard when air is pushed through the narrowed airways. The treatment of the wheezing symptoms of the patient is determined by the underlying cause and if it is severe, it is always recommended that the patient is put under the oxygen mask to ensure that there is steady breathing and uses of the bronchodilators to assists the airways. The treatment of the wheezing can involve the prescription of anti-inflammatory medications such as the steroids to help in the reduction of the swelling and opening of the airways to allow easy breathing.

The possible health risks factors associated with the asthma exacerbation include poor management of asthma, the intensity of using the bronchodilator therapy, the reduction in the function of the pulmonary, the baseline dosage of the controller therapy, and the environmental exposure of the victim. Based on the presentation of the patient case, it is important to put her on a long-term treatment approach and this can involve the use of the long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist (Murrell, 2018).

Education to the patient is also another important approach to help in the proper management of asthma to prevent its exacerbation. The goal of the Healthy People 2020 on the Respiratory disease is to increase the percentage of the individuals with current asthma who are receiving formal education and appropriate asthma care using the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Therefore to help this patient, it is important to teach her as well as her family members about asthma control and prevention. In this case, she is supposed to be taught on the potential triggers and how she can help in the control of the risk factors for the acute attacks. The patient is then assisted in understanding the importance of adhering to the medications and active engagement in the management of the disease. The patient is then assessed on her ability to use the inhalers and management of asthma while at home, in this case, the patient is taught on how to use the peak flow meter and the method of recognizing the trends that shows an increased risk of the acute attack, the patient is also taught on the detection of the signs and symptoms of the asthma exacerbations and the time to seek medical attention (Dilley, Sheehan, Petty, Gaffin, Hauptman, & Phipatanakul, 2017).

Based on the information in the Wilson (2009) articles about the factors to be considered in the evaluation of the readability of the health education resources for the patient, it is important to look at the aspects of the socio-economic status and the level of educational attainment. This is important in deciding on the type of instructions to be given and the level of communication and language to be used. It also helps in determining whether the patient requires a personal assistant or caregiver to help in reminding her on the time and the dosage of the drug to be taken based on the doctor’s prescription (Wilson, 2009).

References

Dilley, M. A., Sheehan, W. J., Petty, C. R., Gaffin, J. M., Hauptman, M., & Phipatanakul, W. (2017). Comparison of treatment modalities for inpatient asthma exacerbations among US pediatric hospitals. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 5 (3), 855-857.
Murrell, D. (2018, February 23). Inspiratory vs. Expiratory Wheezing: What’s the Difference? Retrieved January 19, 2020, from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/expiratory-wheezing
Wilson, M. (2009). Readability and patient education materials used for low-income populations. Clinical Nurse Specialist.