Medical Case Study: Cardiac Catheterization

Client Profile: Lane Bronson is a 55 year old male with a history of angina, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, COPD, and sleep apnea. He comes to the physican’s office complaining of worsening shortness of breath. His skin tone is grey, and his angina is worsening. Previously stable, he now does not get relief from rest or nitroglycerin. The physician called 911 and had Mr. Bronson directly admitted to the hospital.

Questions:

1. What are the treatment priorities of the registered nurse upon admission? What orders would the RN expect to be included on the standing orders?

The treatment priorities of the registered nurse upon admission to the emergency department are as follows; within the first 10 minutes of Mr. Bronson’s arrival to the emergency department begin a 12 lead ECG. Assess Mr. Bronson’s vitals heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and administer oxygen 2-4 liters via nasal cannula (Sen, B., McNab, A., & Burdess, C., 2009, p. 19). Assess any pre hospital medications, and if he has done cocaine in the last 24 hours. At this time, the nurse should assess Mr. Bronson’s pain quality, location, duration, radiation, and intensity. Timing of onset of current episode that brought him to the emergency room, any precipitating factors, and what relieves his chest pain.

Keep the patient NPO, and establish two IV access sites with a large bore catheters running one IV with NS at KVO and morphine sulfate for pain. Initial laboratory testing including a complete blood cell count (CBC), basic metabolic panel (BMP), cardiac enzymes (creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, and cardiac Troponin) and repeat in 90 min. Administer antiplatelet ASA 324mg PO (Sen, B., McNab, A., & Burdess, C., 2009, p. 18). Before administering nitroglycerin 0.4 mg SL (every 5 minutes up to three doses) reassess blood pressure if systolic <90 mmHg, patient has used cocaine in the last 24 hours, or taking PDE-5 inhibitors do not administer. Thrombolytic therapy should be implemented within 30 minutes from the patient’s arrival to the emergency department, and if they are a candidate for cardiac catheterization it should be done within 90 minutes from the patient being admitted to the hospital. Delay on either therapy option increases the risk of mortality (Kosowsky, Yiadom, Hermann, & Jagoda, 2009, p. 10).

2. Explain how oxygen via nasal cannula benefits a patient in chest pain.