Posted: June 11th, 2024

Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disorders | Case Study 1

Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disorders | Case Study 1

Meet AO, a patient struggling with obesity who has recently put on an additional 9 pounds. To make matters worse, AO has been diagnosed with both hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Currently, AO is taking a cocktail of medications, including:

– Atenolol: 12.5 mg once a day
– Doxazosin: 8 mg once a day
– Hydralazine: 10 mg four times a day
– Sertraline: 25 mg once a day
– Simvastatin: 80 mg once a day

Now, let’s dive into how one particular factor might impact the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes in AO’s case.

Patient Factor

The factor I chose to focus on is AO’s behavioral factors, specifically obesity. Being obese puts AO at a higher risk for not only hypertension and hyperlipidemia but also other conditions like diabetes that can throw a wrench in treating cardiovascular issues (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2013). Two things that can mess with the pharmacokinetics for AO are poor nutrition and reduced circulation (Arcangelo & Peterson). It’s pretty safe to assume that AO’s diet isn’t the greatest, considering obesity usually goes hand-in-hand with poor nutrition. As for reduced circulation, that can be caused by a lack of physical activity, the narrowing of blood vessels that comes with hypertension, and potential plaque build-up from hyperlipidemia. Knowing these risk factors and how they could affect AO’s ability to respond well to medications and get proper treatment, it’s crucial to encourage AO to switch up diet and exercise habits, especially by recommending the DASH diet (Arcangelo & Peterson).

Improving the Drug Therapy Plan

There are a few things that could be tweaked in AO’s drug plan. For starters, beta-blockers are known to contribute to hyperlipidemia (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2013). Plus, they’re not typically the go-to first-line treatment for hypertension (Arcangelo & Peterson). With that in mind, it’s best to stop the atenolol. And since the atenolol is being nixed, the hydralazine should also be stopped, since it works best when given with a beta-blocker and a diuretic (Arcangelo & Peterson). Now, since diuretics are the recommended first-line treatment for hypertension (Arcangelo & Peterson), AO should start taking 12.5 mg of hydrochlorothiazide daily. This drug was picked because thiazide diuretics are considered safe for diabetics and can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke (Arcangelo & Peterson). The low dose was chosen because even though they’re safe and helpful, diabetics should take thiazide diuretics at the lowest possible dose (Arcangelo & Peterson). Now, AO isn’t a confirmed diabetic, but with all those risk factors, it’s very possible that AO either already has diabetes or will develop it soon. As for the simvastatin, that’s a good choice for hyperlipidemia since statins are the recommended first-line treatment and the specific drug is chosen based on cholesterol levels (Arcangelo & Peterson), which I don’t have for AO.

References
Arcangelo, V. P., & Peterson, A. M. (Eds.). (2013). Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (3rd ed.). Ambler, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
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Case Study- Pharmacology WK2
As an advanced practice nurse, it is your responsibility to recommend appropriate treatment options for patients with cardiovascular disorders. To ensure the safety and effectiveness of drug therapy, advanced practice nurses must consider aspects that might influence pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics processes such as medical history, other drugs currently prescribed, and individual patient factors.

Reference: Murphy, S. L., Xu, J., Kochanek, K. D., & Arias, E. (2018). Mortality in the United States, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db328.htm

To Prepare

· Review the Resources for this module and consider the impact of potential pharmacotherapeutics for cardiovascular disorders introduced in the media piece.

· Review the case study assigned by your Instructor for this Assignment.

· Select one the following factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior factors.

· Reflect on how the factor you selected might influence the patient’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.

· Consider how changes in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes might impact the patient’s recommended drug therapy.

· Think about how you might improve the patient’s drug therapy plan based on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes. Reflect on whether you would modify the current drug treatment or provide an alternative treatment option for the patient.

Write a 3-page paper that addresses the following:

· Explain how the factor you selected might influence the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics processes in the patient from the case study you were assigned.

· Describe how changes in the processes might impact the patient’s recommended drug therapy. Be specific and provide examples.

· Explain how you might improve the patient’s drug therapy plan and explain why you would make these recommended improvements.

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references.

Case study assigned:

Patient AO has a history of obesity and has recently gained 9 pounds. The patient has been diagnosed with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Drugs currently prescribed include the following:

· atenolol 12.5 mg daily

· doxazosin 8 mg daily

· hydralazine 10 mg qid

· sertraline 25 mg daily

· simvastatin 80 mg daily

NURS 6521 Week1 Discussion

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Study Notes & Homework Samples: Example Advanced Pharmacology Case Study Response »Effective Management of Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, Asthma, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Clinical Approach