Diet pills decongestants o maintain healthy lifestyle

Diet pills, decongestants
o Maintain healthy lifestyle
 Cessation of tobacco use
 Proper diet
 Normal blood pressure/cholesterol
o Verbalize understanding use of prescribed medications
 Nitroglycerin
 Beta-blockers

 ASA
Dysrhythmias
Dysrhythmias
- Disorders of formation or conduction (or both) of electrical impulses within heart
- Can cause disturbances of
o Rate
o Rhythm
o Both rate and rhythm
- Potentially can alter blood flow and cause hemodynamic changes
- Diagnosed by analysis of electrographic waveform
- Nursing care
o Assessment
 Causes of dysrhythmia, contributing factors
 Assess indicators of cardiac output and oxygenation
 Health history: include presence of coexisting conditions, indications of
previous occurrence
 All medications (prescribed, OTC, herbals, supplements)
 Psychosocial assessment: patient’s “perception” of dysrhythmia, anxiety
 when you are hypoxic- you are anxious and restless
o Physical assessment include
 Skin (pale and cool)
 Signs of fluid retention (JVD, lung crackles/wheezes)
 Signs of decreased CO (altered LOC)
 Rate, rhythm of apical, peripheral pulses, pulse deficit- lack of diffusion
 clots in the atrium
 Heart sounds
 Blood pressure, pulse pressure
 murmur- doors are not closing completely
 not enough calcium to allow doors to close
- Nursing Diagnosis
o Decrease cardiac output
o Anxiety
o Deficient knowledge
- Collaborative Problems and Potential Complications
o Cardiac arrest
o Heart failure
o Thromboembolic event, especially with atrial fibrillation
- Planning
o Goals
 Eradicating or decreasing occurrence of dysrhythmia to maintain cardiac
output
 Minimizing anxiety

 Acquiring knowledge about dysrhythmia and its treatment
- Focus on Interventions
o Monitor and manage the dysrhythmia
o Minimize anxiety
o Promote home- and community-based cared
o Educate the patient
o Continuing care
- Nursing Interventions: Monitor and Manage the Dysrhythmia
o Assess vital signs on an ongoing basis
o Assess for lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting
o If hospitalized:
 Obtain 12-lead ECG
 Continuous monitoring
 Monitor rhythm strips periodically
o Antiarrhythmic medications
 “6-minute walk test”
- Nursing Intervention: Minimize Anxiety
o Stay with patient
o Maintain safety and security
o Discuss emotional response to dysrhythmia
o Help patient develop a system to identify factors that contribute to episodes of the
dysrhythmia
o Maximize the patient’s control
- Nursing Intervention: Promote Home and Community-Based Cared
o Educate the patient
 Treatment options
 Therapeutic medication levels
 How to take pulse before medication administration
 How to recognize symptoms of the dysrhythmia
 Measures to decrease recurrence
 Plan of action in case of an emergency
 CPR (family)
- Nursing intervention: Continuing Care
o Referral for home are
 Hemodynamically unstable with signs of decreased CO
 Significant comorbidities
 Socioeconomic issues
 Limited self-management skills
 Electronic device recently implanted
- Evaluation
o Maintain cardiac output
 Stable VS, no signs of dysrhythmia
o Experience decreased anxiety
 Positive attitude, confidence in ability to act if an emergency occurs

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