HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

School of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences

Department of Nursing

Aquino, Mayden T. NU-203 February 17, 2024

Lacson, Berlon Sebastian

Module 8 Assignment Cardiovascular Disorders

With your study buddy, work on the case below. Read Module 8 to answer the questions.

A. A mother has come to urgent care with her 12-year-old son because of joint pain, red skin
lesions on the trunk, and low-grade fever. The child had a sore throat 2 weeks ago.

1. What is the tentative medical diagnosis? Justify your answer. 2 pts

Answer: The 12-year-old child who presents with joint pain, red skin lesions on the trunk,
low-grade fever, and a recent history of sore throat is most likely suffering from rheumatic fever.
This diagnosis is supported by numerous criteria. First, Rheumatic Fever is a typical complication
of a streptococcal throat infection, causing symptoms such as joint pain (arthritis), red skin sores
(erythema marginatum), and fever. Second, the two weeks remaining between the sore throat
and the development of present symptoms is consistent with the normal latency time observed
in rheumatic fever patients. Finally, the occurrence of rheumatic fever-specific symptoms such
as erythema marginatum supports this diagnosis.
2. What are the 3-priority nursing diagnosis, their nursing interventions and rationale
appropriate for the patient? 3pts
Answer: The first nursing diagnosis is acute pain caused by joint inflammation as a result of
rheumatic fever. Nursing treatments include giving prescription pain relievers as directed by the
doctor to relieve joint discomfort and providing warm compresses to affected joints to increase
comfort and minimize stiffness. The goal of these therapies is to successfully control pain,
therefore increasing the patient's comfort and mobility, which increases involvement in
everyday activities. The second nursing diagnosis is Impaired Skin Integrity due to erythema
marginatum. Nursing interventions include keeping the skin clean and dry, avoiding irritating
clothing or substances, and administering prescription topical therapies to affected skin regions
as directed by the doctor. The purpose of these therapies is to avoid skin breakdown, promote
healing of skin lesions, and, ultimately, prevent infection, thus assuring the patient's safety and
comfort. The third nursing diagnosis is a risk of infection due to a reduced immune response
caused by rheumatic fever. Nursing interventions include teaching the patient and family about
 HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

School of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences

Department of Nursing

the need for hand cleanliness and infection prevention, as well as monitoring for infection
symptoms such as fever, increased redness, or discharge from skin lesions. The motivation for
these treatments stems from the fact that patients with rheumatic fever have a higher risk of
infection due to their impaired immune system, making preventative measures critical in
reducing this risk and guaranteeing the patient's general health and safety.
3. What are the potential complications? Justify your answer. 2pts
Answer: One potential complication of rheumatic fever is cardiac involvement, which causes
inflammation of the heart tissues and damage to the heart valves, known as rheumatic heart
disease. If not treated effectively, this issue can develop to long-term concerns such as valve
stenosis or regurgitation, which can eventually lead to heart failure or other cardiovascular
problems.

B. Complete the table below 8 pts

Defect Brief Description Signs and symptoms specific Medical and

to the condition/defect Surgical
Management to
treat the defect

A. VSD Ventricular Septal - Heart murmur - Poor - Small VSDs may

Defect (VSD) is a feeding and failure to grow close
congenital heart (in babies) - Rapid breathing spontaneously
defect defined by a or dyspnea - Sweating, without
hole in the wall that particularly during feedings intervention. -
separates the heart's Surgery may be
lower chambers required to
(ventricles). correct larger
VSDs. -
Medications to
alleviate
symptoms and
avoid problems
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School of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences

Department of Nursing

(e.g., diuretics,
ACE inhibitors).

B. COA Coarctation of the High blood pressure in the - Surgical repair to

Aorta (COA) is a arms, low blood pressure in remove or bypass
constriction of the the legs, weak or absent the constricted
aorta, the primary pulses in the legs, heart aorta. - Balloon
artery that murmur, shortness of angioplasty can
transports breath, and chest be used to expand
oxygenated blood discomfort. the constricted
from the heart to segment. - Blood
the body. pressure
medications that
avoid problems
(for example,
beta-blockers).

C. TOF Tetralogy of Fallot - Cyanosis (blue skin) - Rapid - Surgical surgery

(TOF) is a congenital breathing - Poor weight gain to address the
cardiac condition - Tet spells faults (for
that includes four example,
abnormalities: repairing the
ventricular septal septal defect or
defect, overriding enlarging the
aorta, pulmonary pulmonary valve).
valve stenosis, and - Total correction
right ventricular is often
hypertrophy. accomplished in
infancy or early
childhood. -
Medications to
treat symptoms
and avoid
problems (such as
 HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

School of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences

Department of Nursing

diuretics and
beta-blockers).

D. PDA Patent Ductus - Heart murmur - Poor - Small PDAs may

Arteriosus (PDA) is feeding and failure to grow shut
a congenital cardiac (in babies) - Rapid spontaneously. -
abnormality breathing or shortness of Larger PDAs may
defined by the breath - Sweating, need surgical
presence of an particularly during closure.
opening between feedings. Transcatheter
the aorta and the closure, which
pulmonary artery involves
that should seal inserting a
shortly after birth. device through a
catheter, may be
a less intrusive
option. -
Medications to
treat symptoms
and avoid
problems (such
as indomethacin
and NSAIDs).