Author Question: The nurse is obtaining a health history from a 24-year-old patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ... (Read 155 times)

sc00by25 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

The nurse is obtaining a health history from a 24-year-old patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). Which information obtained by the nurse is most important?

a. The patient has a history of a recent upper respiratory infection.
b. The patient has a family history of coronary artery disease (CAD).
c. The patient reports using cocaine a couple of times as a teenager.
d. The patient's 29-year-old brother died from a sudden cardiac arrest.

Question 2

A patient admitted with acute dyspnea is newly diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. Which information will the nurse plan to teach the patient about managing this disorder?

a. A heart transplant should be scheduled as soon as possible.
b. Elevating the legs above the heart will help relieve dyspnea.
c. Careful compliance with diet and medications will prevent heart failure.
d. Notify the doctor about any symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath.

ryrychapman11 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
About half of all cases of HC have a genetic basis, and it is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in otherwise healthy young people. The information about the patient's brother will be helpful in planning care (such as an automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator AICD) for the patient and in counseling other family members. The patient should be counseled against the use of stimulant drugs, but the limited past history indicates that the patient is not at current risk for cocaine use. Viral infections and CAD are risk factors for dilated cardiomyopathy, but not for HC.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
The patient should be instructed to notify the health care provider about any worsening of heart failure symptoms. Because dilated cardiomyopathy does not respond well to therapy, even patients with good compliance with therapy may have recurrent episodes of heart failure. Elevation of the legs above the heart will worsen symptoms (although this approach is appropriate for a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). The patient with terminal or end-stage cardiomyopathy may consider heart transplantation.