Medical surgical Nursing Cases and Answers

Medical surgical Nursing Cases and Answers A 21-year-old woman is scheduled for percutaneous transluminal balloon valvuloplasty to treat mitral stenosis. When explaining the advantage of valvuloplasty instead of valve replacement to the patient, which information will the nurse include? a. Biologic replacement valves require the use of immunosuppressive drugs. b. Mechanical mitral valves require replacement approximately every 5 years. c. Lifelong anticoagulant therapy is needed after mechanical valve replacement. d. Ongoing cardiac care by a health care provider is unnecessary after valvuloplasty. - CORRECT ANSWER-ANS: c Long-term anticoagulation therapy is needed after mechanical valve replacement, and this would restrict decisions about career and childbearing in this patient. Mechanical valves are durable and last longer than biologic valves. All valve repair procedures are palliative, not curative, and require lifelong health care. Biologic valves do not activate the immune system, and immunosuppressive therapy is not needed. A 25-year-old patient with a group A streptococcal pharyngitis does not want to take the antibiotics prescribed. What should the nurse tell the patient to encourage the patient to take the medications and avoid complications of the infection?