Approach to Care, Treatment Plan and Patient Education Essay - 2

Approach to Care, Treatment Plan and Patient Education - Essay Example Apart from the diagnostic procedures, the treatment regimen is usually composed of several drugs with different dosages and frequency of intake. In this paper, a case of a patient with Cardiomyopathy and Congestive Heart Failure will be covered including the general approach to care, treatment and teaching plan. Mr. P, 76 years old, diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and Congestive Heart Failure, was brought to the hospital for management of acute exacerbations of symptoms. Aside from the peripheral edema, crackles in lung fields, and dyspnea, further evaluation revealed that the patient is having a difficulty complying with the diet restrictions and drug regimen. In this case, the approach for the patient should include the stabilization of the condition, patient and caregiver education, and psychosocial support. Physiological stabilization is comprised of ventilation assistance, hemodynamic regulation, and energy management (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010). Specifically, ventilation assistance should focus on assessing respiratory rate and rhythm, administration of prescribed supplemental oxygen, proper positioning to promote optimal lung expansion and minimize respiratory efforts, and regular auscultation of breath sounds to discover areas of decreased or absent ventilation and presence of adventitious sounds. Furthermore, hemodynamic regulation should focus on monitoring heart rate and rhythm, peripheral pulses, monitoring intake/ output, urine output, changes in patient weight, and prompt administration of prescribed inotropic medications. Moreover, energy management should focus on monitoring the patient’s cardiopulmonary response to activity and determination of the physical limitations. All these measures form the vital components of patient care to promote functional mobility and prevent aggravation of the condition. Needless to say, it is necessary that the patient and his caregiver receive clear information using  simple language about the condition to promote compliance with the treatment regimen.