ANOREXIA CLINICAL REASONING CASE STUDY Eating Disorder/Electrolyte Imbalances

Eating Disorder/Electrolyte Imbalances Mandy White, 16 years old Primary Concept Fluid and Electrolyte Balance Interrelated Concepts (In order of emphasis) 1. Acid-base 2. Nutrition 3. Perfusion 4. Coping 5. Mood and Affect 6. Clinical Judgment RAPID Reasoning Case Study: STUDENT Eating Disorder/Electrolyte Imbalances History of Present Problem: Mandy White is a 16-year-old adolescent who has struggled with anorexia nervosa since the age of 11. She admits to drinking several large glasses of water daily. Mandy has also been recently engaging in self injurious behavior (SIB) of cutting both forearms and thighs with broken glass, causing numerous lacerations and scars. Mandy presents to the emergency department (ED) with increasing weakness, lightheadedness and a near syncopal episode this evening. She admits to inducing vomiting after meals the past three weeks. She is 5’ 5” and weighs 83 lbs/37.7 kg (BMI 13.8). Mandy is reluctantly brought in by her mother and does not want to be treated. As the primary nurse responsible for the care of Mandy, you overhear her say to her mother, “I hate everything about me! I am so tired of living, I wish I were dead!” Personal/Social History: