Heart failure assignment

 

 

 

           

Heart Failure

 

 

 

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Heart Failure

The provided case study demonstrates a 62-year-old male patient diagnosed with heart failure class II. Even though the patient feels at ease when resting, with normal physical activity, he might trigger symptoms like shortness of breath, angina, palpitations, and tiredness. As such the main therapeutic objective of this patient at the moment is to lower his blood pressure. Additional treatment goals include having his breathing difficulties well-controlled and alleviating his sleeping problems. The improper gas exchange must also be remedied. The treatment plan for the patient will include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors like losartan to lower his blood pressure, beta-blockers like Lopressor to reduce the risks of abnormal heart rhythm, and diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone to reduce the accumulation of fluids within his lungs (Rossignol et al, 2019). To determine the effectiveness of this treatment plan, it will be necessary to monitor the patient’s serum creatinine, respiratory rate, blood pressure, heart rate, and serum medication levels.

The patient also needs to be educated on the importance of complying with the treatment regimen to promote positive outcomes. The patient must also be advised to regularly monitor his weight, as unintended changes in body weight may indicate fluid retention in the body. Physical exercise and consuming a heart-healthy diet are also crucial to promote the health of the patient and reduce his symptoms. Additionally, since the patient is using multiple medications, it is crucial to acknowledge the patient about drug-drug interactions like the use of angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors concurrently can lead to increased risks of severe hyperkalemia (Pellicori et al, 2020). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also have the potential of decreasing the effect of antihypertensives like ACE inhibitors. Studies also show that the effect of ACE inhibitors is reduced with foods like red wine and tea.

The most likely adverse reaction that might affect the patient as a result of the drug combination is severe hyperkalemia, which is common when administering Angiotensin receptor blockers or ACE inhibitors together with a potassium-sparing diuretic (Machaj et al., 2019). This can lead to altering the patient’s treatment regimen to second-line therapy, which includes combining Neprilysin inhibitors like sacubitril with an angiotensin receptor blockers like valsartan. A cardiac glycoside like digoxin can also be used as second-line therapy. However, the patient can also use alternative medications like Sacubitril with losartan, inamrinone, digoxin, or minoxidil sacubitril is a Neprilysin inhibitor that helps in regulating blood volume. Finally, lifestyle changes and dietary interventions are also crucial in promoting the patient’s recovery process. Such lifestyle modifications include avoiding smoking, or drinking alcohol, exercising regularly, and sleeping for between 6 to 8 hours every night. Dietary interventions include consuming salt-restricted died, and avoiding fast foods, red meat, and fried foods.

 

 

References

Machaj, F., Dembowska, E., Rosik, J., Szostak, B., Mazurek-Mochol, M., & Pawlik, A. (2019). New therapies for the treatment of heart failure: a summary of recent accomplishments. Therapeutics and clinical risk management, 15, 147.  DOI: 

Pellicori, P., Khan, M. J. I., Graham, F. J., & Cleland, J. G. (2020). New perspectives and future directions in the treatment of heart failure. Heart failure reviews, 25(1), 147-159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-019-09829-7

Rossignol, P., Hernandez, A. F., Solomon, S. D., & Zannad, F. (2019). Heart failure drug treatment. The Lancet, 393(10175), 1034-1044.