pain m
SN teaching the patient / caregiver on S / S ( signs / sym
ptom
s) of wound infection to report to physician, such as increased tem
p >100.5, chills, increase in drainage, foul odor, redness, or unrelieved pain
.
SN instructed patient / caregiver that Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often rapid heart rate that can increase your risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related com
plications. It m
ay lead to com
plications. Atrial fibrillation can lead to blood clots form
ing in the heart that m
ay circulate to other organs and lead to blocked blood flow ( ischem
ia ). Treatm
ents for this m
ay include m
edications and other interventions to try to alter the heart's electrical system
. Signs and sym
ptom
s ( S / S ) such as: Palpitations, which are sensations of a racing, uncom
fortable, irregular heartbeat or a flip - flopping in your chest, weakness, fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, chest pain
.
SN instructed patient / caregiver on service authorization, advance directives, rights and responsibilities, rights of the elderly and obtained necessary signatures. Instructed patient / caregiver on 24 hour nurse availability and provided / posted the agency telephone num
ber. Also instructed that after hours, weekends and holidays an answering service will reach the nurse and he / she will return the patient / caregiver call and answer any questions or m
ake a visit if needed. Patient and caregiver stated understanding. Patient and caregiver educated on diabetic diet, diabetic foot care, sym
ptom
s / signs ( s / s ) of depression, m
anaging pain
with m
edications, healthy skin, and pressure ulcer prevention. Leaflets left in hom
e.
SN instructed about side effects on Lasix ( Furosem
ide ). Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as: Ringing in your ears, hearing loss, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice ( yellowing of the skin or eyes ), severe pain
in your upper stom
ach spreading to your back, nausea and vom
iting.
SN instructed patient on spontaneous coronary artery dissection ( SCAD ) and stent placem
ent. A stent is a sm
all rod m
ade out of m
etal or fabric. It is inserted into a coronary artery when there is a blockage or when the artery is narrow. A coronary artery is a blood vessel that carries oxygen to the heart m
uscle. You received a stent due to coronary artery disease ( also called SCAD). That is caused by a thickening of the inside walls of the coronary arteries. This thickening is called atherosclerosis. A fatty substance called plaque builds up inside the thickened walls of the arteries, blocking or slowing the flow of blood. If your heart m
uscle doesn't get enough blood to work properly, you m
ay have angina ( chest pain
) or a heart attack. The stent will help hold the artery open so blood can flow and help keep the artery from
narrowing again. You will need to take m
edicine that keeps the stent open and blood flowing. It is very im
portant to take the m
edicine exactly how your doctor tells you to take it. In addition to taking m
edicine, the best way to keep your heart healthy is to m
aintain a healthy lifestyle. Quit sm
oking. M
ake sure you keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at healthy levels. Exercise as recom
m
ended by your doctor. Eat a heart - healthy diet. Patient verbalized understanding well.
SN instructed that the m
ost com
m
only experienced sym
ptom
across individuals with UTIs is a burning sensation during urination. The passage through which urine passes to be expelled from
the body becom
es tender due to the infection; when urine goes through it, the person experiences a pain
ful sensation that m
ostly doesn’t last post urination. Since in a lot of cases UTIs are not present with signs, if a burning pain
is felt during urination, the infection m
ay be strong, and thus seeking treatm
ent at the earliest is recom
m
ended.
SN instructed patient / parent to ensure the drain is below the site of insertion but not pulling on the patient. Instructed the patient / parent that there is a risk of dislodgm
ent, requiring increased care when m
oving. Patient should be aware that m
oving whilst drain is in situ will cause som
e pain
, but this can be m
inim
ised with regular analgesia and the patient should be encouraged to m
obilise with supervision when appropriate.
Sn instructed patient about diabetic wounds / ulcers have poor or delayed healing. Healing problem
s are caused by the peripheral arterial diseases and peripheral neuropathy that can occur with diabetes, wherein the sm
all blood vessels in different parts of the body, especially in the extrem
ities ( hands and feet ), grow narrower and reduce the blood circulation to those areas. A lack of circulation in the extrem
ities can result in a reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients to the body tissue and nerves, which is necessary for healing. Over tim
e, nerves in these areas m
ay becom
e dam
aged, decreasing the sensation of pain
, tem
perature and touch, m
aking patients vulnerable to injury.
SN instructed patient on Hum
alog 75-25, stated that it is used along with a proper diet and exercise program
to control high blood sugar in people with diabetes. This product is a com
bination of two m
an - m
ade insulins: interm
ediate - acting insulin lispro protam
ine and rapid - acting insulin lispro. This com
bination starts working faster and lasts for a longer tim
e than regular insulin. Insulin is a natural substance that allows the body to properly use sugar from
the diet. It replaces the insulin that your body no longer produces, thereby lowering your blood sugar. Controlling high blood sugar helps prevent kidney dam
age, blindness, nerve problem
s, loss of lim
bs, and sexual function problem
s. Proper control of diabetes m
ay also lessen your risk of a heart attack or stroke. SN also instructed that pain
, redness, swelling or itching at the injection site m
ay occur. These effects usually go away after a few days or weeks. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharm
acist prom
ptly.
SN instructed patient that Eliquis is used to prevent serious blood clots from
form
ing due to a certain irregular heartbeat ( atrial fibrillation ) or after hip/knee replacem
ent surgery. With atrial fibrillation, part of the heart does not beat the way it should. This can lead to blood clots form
ing, which can travel to other parts of your body (such as the lungs or legs) or increase your risk for stroke. In the United States, apixaban is also approved to treat certain types of blood clots ( deep vein throm
bosis - DVT, pulm
onary em
bolus - PE ) and to prevent them
from
form
ing again. Eliquis is an anticoagulant that works by blocking certain clotting proteins in your blood. SN also instructed that Nausea, easy bruising, or m
inor bleeding ( such as nosebleed, bleeding from
cuts ) m
ay occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharm
acist prom
ptly. This m
edication can cause serious bleeding if it affects your blood clotting proteins too m
uch. Tell your doctor right away if you have any signs of serious bleeding, including: unusual pain
/ swelling / discom
fort, unusual bruising, prolonged bleeding from
cuts or gum
s, persistent / frequent nosebleeds, unusually heavy / prolonged m
enstrual flow, pink/dark urine, coughing up blood, vom
it that is bloody or looks like coffee grounds, severe headache, dizziness / fainting, unusual or persistent tiredness / weakness, bloody / black / tarry stools, difficulty swallowing.