patho for patient in cardiac unit

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HELP!

I'm working on the patho for my patient this week, and I don't know if it was the test we had yesterday or my brain is fried, but I can't think of what I am even supposed to be doing! My patient came in for elective surgery for hip replacement...in the pacu she went into v-fib was defibrillated...came back into a normal sinus rhythm then went into v-fib again.....this happened six times... went to the cath lab were they replaced a stent (100% blocked coronary artery!). Now shes on a cardiac unit (critical care unit but a step down from intensive care). Her medical diagnosis is still hip replacement...but thats not why she is on our floor. So she has a history of CAD, HTN, osteoarthritis, four different stents and hyperlipidemia. I was thinking of doing on Coronary Artery Disease but I dont know if that is right.....

I'm sure everyone has felt this but I want to scream!

Well any help is better than no help, and even if its just to vent into cyberspace.

Thank you in advance to anyone who responds.

-A

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Specializes in CTICU.

Yes it sounds like her biggest problem is CAD. The additional stress placed on the body from the anesthetic for the hip replacement (perhaps increased myocardial oxygen demand and reduced supply if she was hypotensive postop, for example) led to myocardial ischemia and arrhthymia. The CAD encompasses the hypertension, arrhthmias and hyperlipidemia.

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Specializes in Emergency.

ya i agree....the two main things causing the occluded artery are the cad and hyperlipidemia....and the cad will take care of both. however, i would include the hip replacement as well. i'm assuming you're a student and i would hate for your instructor to get on you because you neglected that aspect.....because there are things they have to do in regards to that, that you would want to include in a care plan.

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THANK YOU! I really appreciate the timely response:) I'm glad that you guys agree with the CAD patho. I think 90% of the stress from clinical look up is not knowing what the professor will want! I will make sure and include the hip replacement in her patho especially because thats probably (99% positive) what put her body into the stress. She was also hypotensive! Thanks so much I really really appreciate it....I feel like the dots are connecting! :)

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

If you are doing a concept map this is something you need to talk over with your instructor.

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