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This case study involves a 76 year old female named Mary Lou Poppins, who presented to the ED accompanied by her son. She called her son after having symptoms of shortness of breath and confusion. Her past medical history includes hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, and she was an everyday smoker for 30 years. She reports her home medications are lisinopril, simvastatin, and baby aspirin. Her current lifestyle includes: being a widow of six years, she lives alone, she walks her dog everyday, she drives to her knitting group three days a week, she makes dinner for her grandchildren once a week, she attempts to eat healthy but admits to consuming salty and high fat foods, and she insists on being very independent.
Mary Lou Poppins initial vitals in the emergency department includes a blood pressure of 138/70, heart rate of 108. respiratory rate of 26, temperature 98.9 degrees fahrenheit, and oxygen saturation of 84%. Her initial assessment included alert and oriented to person and place, dyspnea, inspiratory crackles in bilateral lungs, and a cough with pink frothy sputum. Her labs and diagnostics resulted in a BNP of 740 pg/ml, an echocardiogram showing an ejection fraction of 35%, an ECG that read sinus tachycardia, and a chest x-ray that confirmed pulmonary edema.
The Emergency Department physician diagnosed Mary Lou Poppins with left-sided heart failure. The orders included: supplemental oxygen titrated to keep saturation >93%, furosemide IV, enoxaparin subq, and metoprolol PO. Nursing Interventions included: monitoring oxygen saturation, adjusting oxygen route and dosage according to orders, assessing mentation and confusion, obtaining IV access, reassessing vitals, administering medications, and keeping the head of the bed elevated greater than 45 degrees. She was admitted to the telemetry unit for further stabilization, fluid balance monitoring, and oxygen monitoring.
On day one of hospital admission, Mary Lou Poppins required 4L of oxygen via nasal cannula in order to maintain the goal saturation of >93%. Upon assessment, it was determined that she was oriented to person and place. Auscultation of the lungs revealed bilateral crackles throughout, requiring collaboration with respiratory therapy once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. Physical therapy worked with the patient, but she was only able to ambulate for 100 feet. During ambulation, the patient had a decrease of oxygen saturation and dyspnea, requiring her oxygen to be increased to 6L. At the end of the day, strict intake and output monitoring showed an intake of 1200 mL of fluids, with an urinary output of 2L.
On day two of admission, Mary Lou began demonstrating signs of improvement. She only required 2 L of oxygen via nasal cannula with diminished crackles heard upon auscultation. Morning weight showed a weight loss of 1.3 lbs and the patient was oriented to person, place, and sequence of events. During physical therapy, she was able to ambulate 300 feet without required increased oxygen support. Daily fluid intake was 1400 mL with a urinary output of 1900 mL.
On the third and final day of admission, Mary Lou was AOx4 and did not require any type of oxygen support. When physical therapy arrived, the patient was able to ambulate 500 feet, which was close to her pre-hospital status. When the doctor arrived, the patient informed him that she felt so much better and felt confident going home. The doctor placed orders for discharge.
Upon discharge and throughout the patient’s hospital stay, Mary Lou Poppins was educated regarding the disease process of heart failure; symptoms to monitor for and report to her doctor; the importance of daily monitoring of weight, blood pressure, and heart rate; and the importance of adhering to a diet and exercise regime. Education was also provided regarding her medications and the importance of strictly adhering to them in order to prevent exacerbations of heart failure. Smoking cessation was also included in her plan of care. The patient received an informational packet regarding her treatment plan, symptoms to monitor for, and when to call her physician. Upon discharge, the patient was instructed to schedule a follow up appointment with her cardiologist for continued management of her care.
The patient was put in contact with a home health agency to help manage her care. The home health nurse will help to reinforce the information provided to the patient, assess the patient’s home and modify it to meet her physical limitations, and help to create a plan to meet daily dietary and exercise requirements. Regular follow-up appointments were stressed to Mary Lou Poppins in order to assess the progression of her disease. It will be important to monitor her lab values to also assess her disease progression and for any potential side effects associated with her medications. Repeat echocardiograms will be necessary to monitor her ejection fraction; if it does not improve with the treatment plan, an implanted cardiac defibrillator may be necessary to prevent cardiac death.
Open-Ended Questions
- What were the clinical manifestations that Mary Lou Poppins presented with in the ED that suggested the new onset of CHF?
- What factors most likely contributed to the onset of CHF?
- What patient education should Mary Lou Poppins receive on discharge in regards to managing her CHF?
