Chapter 1 – Introduction to Health Assessment
Clinical Judgement: Case Study
| Read the following case study and begin to work through the clinical judgement activity as the case unfolds. |
A 20-year-old client was brought into the emergency room (ER) by their roommate with abnormal vital signs. The client had a rapid heartbeat of 160 beats per minute, chest pain, shortness of breath with elevated respiration rate of 32 breaths per minute that are shallow and rapid. The client arrived at the ER sweating, shaking, stating they feel nauseous, chills, lightheaded, tingling sensation in their fingers, and as if they are going to faint. The paramedics were unable to get an O2 saturation reading due to the client’s hands shaking and said the last blood pressure (BP) was elevated at 150/92 mmHg. The client’s friend is frantic in the waiting room and calling the client’s parents.
After the healthcare team provided treatment and asked the client a series of health history questions, they concluded the client had a panic attack. After 20 minutes, the client’s vital signs began to stabilize: heart rate 100 beats per minute, respiration rate 22 breaths per minute, BP 130/82, and O2 rate of 96%. The client shared they had been experiencing a lot of stress at school because their midterm exams are next week. The client hasn’t been sleeping, had been drinking a lot of coffee to stay up to study, and had just broke up with their partner. The client stated they had never had a panic attack before, but that their mother used to have them when she was younger.
Generating solutions involves identifying the various options (actions and interventions) to address the abnormal findings/cues. This may involve identifying which solutions are indicated, unrelated, or contraindicated.
Drag the following actions and interventions in the appropriate category before Checking your answer.
Health promotion is an integral element of health assessment and focuses on promoting the agency of the client.
