In the case under analysis, four essential problems can be identified immediately. These include the patient’s CHF, retention of fluid, nutrition issues, and loneliness. The hospitalization due to the exacerbation of CHF, hypertension, weight loss, and the development of depression after the loss of her husband can be considered the evidence that supports the concerns listed above. To handle the specified issues, one will have to consider a combination of medication, cognitive therapy, and patient education to prevent further exacerbation of the situation.
To address the specified issue, one will have to consider four essential interventions. CHF seems to be the greatest threat to the patient’s well-being at present; therefore, it needs to be managed first. To increase the efficacy of delivering the required services to the patient in the scenario involving heart failure, one will have to deploy control tools. The identified device will serve as the means of managing the risks successfully. Furthermore, the prescription of medicine containing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) will have to be considered a necessity. The reasons for the specified approach include the need to prevent and address possible heart attacks successfully (Muneer &Nair, 2017).
The weight loss problem will have to be addressed by creating an elaborate diet for the patient. Particularly, the dieting options for a long-term weight gain will have to be viewed as a necessity. The possible shock of fast weight gain should be viewed as the key reason for the specified choice. The diet will have to include the products that contain a significant amount of protein as the primary source of energy. The products that are rich in fats will also have to be included in the diet, yet their choice will need to be very careful to maintain control over weight gain and prevent the development of obesity. The reason for using the provided approach includes the necessity to reduce the threat of anorexia nervosa (Forney, Brown, Holland-Carter, Kennedy, & Keel, 2017).
Fluid retention, which is another reason for concern in the suggested scenario, will need to be reduced significantly. While the dieting modifications represented above are likely to help significantly in reducing fluid retention, medications will also have to be incorporated into the treatment process to prevent the detrimental impact that edemas may have on Sallie’s heart. Particularly, the threat of CHF aggravation will need to be addressed. Particularly, loop diuretics may have to be incorporated into the treatment framework (Pellicori, Kaur, & Clark, 2015). The need to drop fluid retention and the possibility of a heart attack is the key reason for the treatment.
It is expected that the strategies designed for reducing flood retention levels will also help address the hypertension issue. Indeed, seeing that the increase in the amount of retained fluid must have contributed to the rise in the patient’s blood pressure, the incorporation of diuretics in the treatment plan will allow managing the hypertension issue. However, apart from the specified step, the use of antihypertensive drugs will also have to be deemed as an important step toward promoting recovery. The connection between the CHF issue, fluid retention, and hypertension is the reason to deploy the suggested treatment technique.
Finally, the issue of depression will have to be managed with the help of cognitive therapy. The patient will need to recognize the importance of taking care of herself and learning more about her condition. However, the further enhancement of patient education is only possible once the depression issue is resolved. At the earliest stages of the treatment, anti-depressants will need to be incorporated into the framework. However, afterward, placebo treatment will have to be used to prevent the development of dependence in the patient. The introduction of therapy, medications, and placebo is justified by the need to reduce the effects of depression, at the same time preventing addiction to antidepressants and further dependence.
References
Forney, K. J., Brown, T. A., Holland‐Carter, L. A., Kennedy, G. A., & Keel, P. K. (2017). Defining “significant weight loss” in atypical anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(8), 952-962.
Muneer, K., & Nair, A. (2017). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and receptor blockers in heart failure and chronic kidney disease–Demystifying controversies. Indian Heart Journal, 69(3), 371-374.
Pellicori, P., Kaur, K., & Clark, A. L. (2015). Fluid management in patients with chronic heart failure. Cardiac Failure Review, 1(2), 90-95.