NURS 6531 Week 6 Discussion: Diagnosing Gastrointestinal Disorders

In primary care settings, patients often present with abdominal pain. Although this is frequently a sign of a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, abdominal pain could also be the result of other systemic disorders, making this type of pain difficult to assess. While abdominal pain is most common, many other GI symptoms also overlap multiple disorders, further increasing the difficulty in diagnosing and treating patients. This makes provider-patient communication essential. You must be able to formulate questions that will prompt the patient to provide the necessary information, as this will guide your assessment and diagnosis. For this NURS 6531 Week 6 Discussion: Diagnosing Gastrointestinal Disorders, consider potential diagnoses for the patients in the following case studies.

Case Study 1:

A 49-year-old man presents to the office complaining of vague abdominal discomfort over the past few days. He states he does not feel like eating and has not moved his bowels for the last 2 days. His patient medical history includes an appendectomy at age 22 and borderline hypertension, which he is trying to control with diet and exercise. He takes no medications and has no known allergies. Positive physical exam findings include a temperature of 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit, heart rate of 98, respiratory rate of 24, and blood pressure of 150/72. The abdominal exam reveals abdominal distention, diminished bowel sounds, and lower left quadrant tenderness without rebound. NURS 6531 Week 6 Discussion: Diagnosing Gastrointestinal Disorders

Case Study 2:

A 40 year-old female presents to the office with the chief complaint of diarrhea. She has been having recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. She has lost 9 pounds in the last month. She takes no medications, but is allergic to penicillin. She describes her life as stressful, but manageable. The physical exam reveals a pale middle- aged female in no acute distress. Her weight is 140 pounds (down from 154 at her last visit over a year ago), blood pressure of 94/60 sitting and 86/50 standing, heart rate of 96 and regular without postural changes, respiratory rate of 18, and O2 saturation 99%. Further physical examination reveals:

Skin: w/d, no acute lesions or rashes

Eyes: sclera clear, conj pale

Ears: no acute changes

Nose: no erythema or sinus tenderness

Mouth: membranes pale, some slight painful ulcerations, right buccal mucosa, tongue beefy red, teeth good repair.

Neck: supple, no thyroid enlargement or tenderness, no lymphadenopathy

Cardio: S1 S2 regular, no S3 S4 or murmur

Lungs: CTA w/o rales, wheezes, or rhonchi

Abdomen: scaphoid, BS hyperactive, generalized tenderness, rectal +occult bloo

Case Study 3:

A 52-year-old male presents to the office for a routine physical. The review of symptoms reveals anorexia, heartburn, and weight loss over the past 6 months. The heartburn is long standing, occurring most days during the week. He takes TUMS or Rolaids to relieve the discomfort. The patient describes occasional use of ibuprofen for back pain, but denies other medications including herbals. He has no known allergies. He was adopted so does not know his family history. Social history reveals that, although he stopped smoking ten years ago, he smoked for 20 years. He occasionally consumes alcohol on the weekends only. The only positive physical exam finding for this patient was slight epigastric tenderness. The remainder of his exam was negative and the rectal exam was negative for blood. NURS 6531 Week 6 Discussion: Diagnosing Gastrointestinal Disorders

To prepare for NURS 6531 Week 6 Discussion: Diagnosing Gastrointestinal Disorders:

Review this week’s media presentations and Part 12 of the Buttaro et al. text in the Learning Resources.

Select one of the three case studies listed above. Reflect on the provided patient information including history and physical exams.

Think about a differential diagnosis. Consider the role the patient history and physical exam played in diagnosis.

Reflect on potential treatment options based on your diagnosis. NURS 6531 Week 6 Discussion: Diagnosing Gastrointestinal Disorders

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NURS 6531 Week 7 Discussion: Urinary Frequency

Urinary frequency is a genitourinary disorder that presents problems for adults across the lifespan. It can be the result of various systemic disorders such as diabetes, urinary tract infections, enlarged prostates, kidney infections, or prostate cancer. Many of these disorders have very serious implications requiring thorough patient evaluations. When evaluating patients, it is essential to carefully assess the patient’s personal, medical, and family history prior to recommending certain physical exams and diagnostic testing, as sometimes the benefits of these exams do not outweigh the risks. In this Discussion, you examine a case study of a patient presenting with urinary frequency. Based on the provided patient information, how would you diagnose and treat the patient?

Consider the following case study:

A 52-year-old African American male presents to an urgent care center complaining of urinary frequency and nocturia. The symptoms have been present for several months and have increased in frequency over the past week. He has been unable to sleep because of the need to urinate at least hourly all day and night. He does not have a primary care provider and has not seen a doctor in more than 10 years. His father died when he was a child in an automobile accident, and his mother is 79 years old and has hypertension. The patient has no siblings. His social history includes the following: banker by profession, divorced father of two grown children, non-smoker, and occasionally consumes alcohol on weekends only.

To prepare:

Review Part 13 of the Buttaro et al. text in this week’s Learning Resources.

Review the case study and reflect on the information provided about the patient.

Think about the personal, medical, and family history you need to obtain from the patient in the case study. Reflect on what questions you might ask during an evaluation.

Consider types of physical exams and diagnostics that might be appropriate for evaluation of the patient in the study.

Reflect on a possible diagnosis for the patient.

Review the Marroquin article in this week’s Learning Resources. If you suspect prostate cancer, consider whether or not you would recommend a biopsy.

Think about potential treatment options for the patient.

Post on or before Day 3 a description of the history that you need to obtain from the patient in the case study. Include a list of questions that you might ask the patient. Then, describe types of physical exams and diagnostics that might be appropriate for evaluation of the patient. Finally, explain a possible diagnosis, as well as potential treatment options for the patient based on this diagnosis.

NURS 6531 Week 8 Discussion: Electrolyte Disorders

When an electrolyte disorder occurs, it disrupts the balance of ionized salts in the blood. Since electrolytes regulate physiological functions in the body, if left untreated, electrolyte disorders can cause harm to multiple body systems. This results in a variety of symptoms which are sometimes severe and life threatening. In this Discussion, you explore common electrolyte disorders and their potential causes, as well as the impact of the disorders on patients.

To prepare:

Review Chapters 207, 208, and 241 of the Buttaro et al. text, as well as the Adams et al. and Assadi articles in this week’s Learning Resources.

Select one of the following electrolyte disorders: hyperkalemia and hypokalemia; hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia; hypernatremia and hyponatremia; hypermagnesemia and hypomagnesemia. Reflect on signs and symptoms of this disorder.

Consider potential causes of the disorder that you selected. Reflect on whether that disorder is iatrogenic or a result of prescribed drugs.

Think about the impact of this electrolyte disorder on patients. Consider how the disorder affects other body systems.

Post on or before Day 3 a description of the electrolyte disorder that you selected as well as signs and symptoms. Then, explain potential causes of the disorder including whether it is iatrogenic or a result of prescribed drugs. Finally, describe the impact of the disorder on patients and their body systems.

NURS 6531 Week 9 Discussion: Chronic Back Pain

Patients frequently present with complaints of pain such as chronic back pain. They often seek medical care with the intent of receiving drugs to manage the pain. Typically, for this type of pain, narcotic drugs are often prescribed. This can pose challenges for you as the advanced practice nurse prescribing the drugs. While there is a process for evaluating back pain, it can be difficult to assess the intensity of a patient’s pain because pain is a subjective experience. Only the person experiencing the pain truly knows whether there is a need for drug treatments. This makes it important for you, as the prescriber, to watch for red flags and warning signs of abuse. In this Discussion, you explore the ethical implications of prescribing narcotics to patients with chronic back pain.

To prepare:

Review this week’s media presentation on evaluating back pain, as well as Chapter 15 of the Buttaro et al. text in the Learning Resources. Reflect on the evaluation process for a patient with a history of back pain.

Consider how you might evaluate a patient that presents with back pain. Think about potential red flags and warning signs of drug abuse.

Reflect on the ethical implications of prescribing narcotics for chronic back pain.

Think about what you would prescribe and why.

Post on or before Day 3 a description of how you might evaluate a patient who presents with back pain. Then, describe potential red flags and warning signs of drug abuse. Explain the ethical implications of prescribing narcotics for chronic back pain. Finally, explain what you would prescribe for patients and why.

NURS 6531 Week 10 Discussion: Stroke Prevention Media

Note: You will complete this week’s Discussion after you complete this week’s Assignment

In this Discussion, you provide and receive feedback on the stroke prevention media created in this week’s Assignment. This exchange between you and your colleagues is an opportunity to practice your interprofessional collaboration skills, which are an essential rudiment of nursing practice. In clinical settings, you must be able to articulately express your thoughts and communicate with colleagues. This Discussion is designed to help you improve this skill, as well as encourage you to listen to your colleagues and acknowledge that all views are valid and worthy of consideration. As you review the stroke prevention media piece created by your colleagues, keep the best interests of the specific patient population in mind. Use the feedback you receive to refine your own stroke prevention media prior to submitting the final Assignment in Week 11.

Post on or before Day 4 a description of the stroke prevention media piece that you created. Include the details of your educational media, and if possible, a copy of the actual media piece. Explain why you selected the particular type of media and how and why it is suitable for your patient population.

NURS 6531 Week 11 Discussion: Diabetes

In the United States, 25.6 million adults age 20 years or older have diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2011). If not properly treated and managed, these millions of diabetic patients are at risk for several alterations including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, neuropathy, and blindness. Proper treatment and management is the key for diabetic patients, and as the advanced practice nurse providing care for these patients, it is your responsibility to facilitate this process. Patient education is critical, as is working with patients to establish a regular pattern for daily activities such as eating and taking medications. When developing care plans for patients, you must keep the projected outcomes of treatment in mind, as well as patient preferences and other factors that might impact adherence to treatment and management plans. In this Discussion, you draw from your Practicum Experience and consider factors that impact the education and treatment of patients with diabetes.

To prepare:

Review Chapter 205 in Part 17 of the Buttaro et al. text.

Reflect on the clinical presentation of diabetes, as well as your Practicum Experiences and observations. Select a case from these experiences that involve a diabetic patient. When referring to the patient, make sure to use a pseudonym or other false form of identification. This is to ensure the privacy and protection of the patient.

Recall the medical details of the patient in the case that you selected including patient history, clinical presentation, physical exams, diagnostics, and the recommended treatment plan.

Select one of the following patient factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior. Reflect on how this factor might impact the treatment plan and patient education strategies.

Post on or before Day 3 a description of the case that you selected including the diabetic patient’s medical details. Then, explain how the factor that you selected might impact the treatment plan and patient education strategies.