NURS 313 ASSIGNMENT 14.2 GI CASE STUDY

NURS 313 ASSIGNMENT 14.2 GI CASE STUDY.Case Study Ruth Jones, a 60-year-old woman, presents to your office with heartburn complaints, occurring mainly after eating and especially at night. She also reports experiencing nausea, regurgitation, and severe burning in her chest after eating spicy food. After a complete physical examination and referral for tests to rule out other causes, you diagnose her with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). She also has a history of asthma and osteoporosis, and six months earlier, she fractured her hip following a fall. (Case Study Assignment 14-2 Maryville University, 2021). Introduction Gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the utmost common conditions see in healthcare today. "Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorder in the United States" (Richter and Rubenstein, 2018). GERD manifestations contain a variety of symptoms such as heartburn, acid regurgitations, chest pain, sleep disturbances, and esophageal strictures and ulcerations. Risk factors include people that have a history of asthma or high blood pressure, older in age, males, white, obesity, hiatal hernia, pregnancy, conditions that can lead to a weakened esophageal muscle (such as scleroderma), nervous system diseases, chronic NG tube, and tobacco use. The least invasive GERD management usually begins with the prescription of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) along with lifestyle changes. Invasive management is by doing an endoscopy procedure and then adjusting treatment. All in all, GERD is a prevalent disorder that can be managed with lifestyle changes, drug management, and education. WEEK 14 PHARMACOLOGY 3 Case Study Interventions Over counter Medications/Lifestyle Changes According to Ms. Jones's past medical history and GERD diagnosis, with current signs and symptoms, the first step would be for the Nurse Practitioner to discuss and gather more critical information. The Nurse Practitioner needs to question the patient on the effect of her current symptoms on her everyday life activities, the length of her symptoms if any current treatment was tried, and if anything makes her symptoms better or worse. Then the Nurse Practitioner needs to present the different treatment options to the patient. Conversing with the patient and allowing her to assist when deciding on the right plan of action is vital in the patient's care plan. This will help ensure compliance and the proper method of effort to fit Mrs. Jones's lifestyle. The best course of action to help Mrs. Jones decrease her heartburn, nausea, regurgitation, and severe burning in her chest, is for the Nurse Practitioner to recommend counter medications and lifestyle modifications. Starting with lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, placing pillows and elevating the head of the bed when sleeping, avoiding lying down at least three hours after eating, chewing food entirely and eating smaller meals, and avoiding foods and drinks that trigger reflux may assist in some comfort for Mrs. Jones. The Nurse Practitioner needs to ensure education is taught and received when teaching any patient lifestyle changes. One way to verify that a patient understands the instruction given is to have the patient teach-back what they understood. Over the counter medications will also give Mrs. Jones some relief and is usually the cheaper option. Some of these medications include antacids, H-2- receptors blockers, and proton pump inhibitors. It is also essential that Mrs. Jones has a followup appointment to assess the relief of her symptoms. These lifestyle changes and over-the