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Respiratory Disorder Case Study

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Mrs. Levochenko, 50yo female, with no known drug allergies, admitted 2 days ago following fall from a horse, fractured to right tibia and fibula, internally surgically fixed. Most recent vitals suggest Mrs. Levochenko is currently tachypnea, respiratory rate of 26, (breaths per minute) Visible difficulty breathing leans forward and clutches at abdomen. Mrs. Levochenko is tachycardic, 110bpm (beats per minute) and hypoxic with an oxygen saturation of 92% on room air. Mrs. Levochenko has a distended abdomen and has decreased her oral intake post operatively.

Mrs. Levochenko is currently a smoker, 15 a day for 30 years. Recently reported feeling short of breath (SOB) and described as “working hard to get the air in.” Mrs. Levochenko also states worsening throughout the day, still feels nauseous despite medication and has decreased her eating and has no thirst, complaining that she feels full.

Part B
Mrs. Levochenko’s heart rate (HR) is currently at 110 bpm, above normal …show more content…

(Considine, 2005. P265.) in a study conducted by Schein, Hazday, Pena, Ruben and Sprung in 1990 it was discovered that, prior to cardiac arrest, 53% of patients had documented respiratory dysfunction. Similar in several other studies, respiratory dysfunction has been shown to be the most common reason for ICU admission (Rubins & Moskowitz 1988, Ridley & Purdie 1992) accounting for up to half (48%) of unexpected admissions to ICU (McGloin Adam & Singer 1999). One-fifth (20%) of patients requiring unexpected readmission to ICU were readmitted because of respiratory dysfunction. These studies provide a strong grounding for evidence to support the relationship between respiratory dysfunction and adverse

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