Pathophysiology Paradigm

Nursing Students General Students

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Hey everyone..

I am in an ADN program and in our care plan we have to include a paradigm for the Pathophys of our patient's main medical problem. Does anyone else have to do this?? Any websites/advise on getting through this?

Last quarter, my paradigm was easy.. Uterine Myoma.. Not this quarter. My patient had Amiodarone induced CHF. HELP! :banghead:

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

knowing the pathophysiology of what is going on with your patient's problems is part of the critical thinking process and one of the major things you are to be learning in rn school. people ask about the pathophysiology of diseases and medical conditions all the time on the forums. sometimes you have to put two pathophysiologies together. when i answer these kinds of questions i use my own knowledge of clinical nursing as well as two books:

  • pathophysiology: the biologic basis for disease in adults and children, third edition, by kathryn l. mccance and sue e. heuther. currently in it's 5th edition of publication. cost is $93.95.
  • pathophysiology: a 2-in-1 reference for nurses by springhouse, springhouse publishing company staff. 44.95

many of the articles about the various medical diseases on the emedicine website (http://www.emedicine.com/) also include a short discussion about the pathophysiology.

i also started collecting and posting the addresses of the posts on allnurses that had discussions about the pathophysiology of some diseases and conditions: https://allnurses.com/forums/2634117-post49.html. the various heart failures are included there. you would find information on how amiodarone works in a pharmacology book and then merge it with what you learn about how heart failure occurs.

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  • pathophysiology: the biologic basis for disease in adults and children, third edition, by kathryn l. mccance and sue e. heuther. currently in it's 5th edition of publication. cost is $93.95.

i am using the 5th edition of this book and it is wonderful! :up: i am just struggling, i guess you could say, on trying to work in the amiodarone. maybe i am overthinking and causing myself more trouble than just going with what i read/know about chf and i know about the drug!
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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

My understanding of amiodarone is that it interferes with alpha receptors, beta receptors and calcium receptors in cardiac muscle. It prolongs the duration of action potentials in cardiac fibers, slows conduction velocity and prolongs refractories at the AV node. It has a very long half-life. Some of these may be the basis of the cause for CHF occurring. Perhaps looking up information in Facts and Comparisons or the PDR will explain the reason CHF can occur.

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We do this too. But we call it a pathophysiology, or patho for short. We have to describe the diagnosis. signs and symptoms, medical treatment, nursing interventions, and we all have to apply it to our patient.

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Do you find it difficult even though you know what you are talking about???

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