blood sugar
SN instructed that the joint that is damaged by injury or disease can be removed and replaced with a new one. There are times when only a part of the joint needs to be replaced or repaired. Your healthcare provider may try other treatments before joint replacement surgery, such as steroid injections or medicines. Pain relief and increased function are the goals of joint replacement. Knee, hip, and shoulder joints are the most common joints replaced. Joints in your elbows, fingers, and ankles can also be repaired or replaced. Your risk of infection, bleeding, and blood clots increase with surgery. You may be allergic to the material used in your new joint. Nerves, muscles, tendons, and blood vessels near your joint may become damaged during surgery. The new joint may loosen or come out of the socket. Sn instructed patient on symptoms / signs ( S/S ) of infection such as fever, drainage, swelling, redness. Patient recalls back partial teaching of redness. Patient instructed to report any symptoms should they occur to physician / nurse ( MD / SN ).
SN taught patient that learning what affects your blood glucose levels and what to do when they are higher or lower than desired takes practice. Looking for patterns and trends can help you determine what is causing the blood glucose levels to go high or low, and can help you target what might need some adjusting.
SN instructed patient on atherosclerotic heart disease also known as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD); is the damage or disease in the heart's major blood vessels. The usual cause is the buildup of plaque. This causes coronary arteries to narrow, limiting blood flow to the heart. Coronary artery disease can range from no symptoms, to chest pain, to a heart attack. Treatments include lifestyle changes, medications, angioplasty, and surgery.
SN educated patient on the importance of daily vital sign monitoring. Due to patients disease processes it is important to monitor blood pressure, weight, pulse and oxygen daily if equipment is available. SN instructed patient to weigh correctly they need to wake up, pee and than weigh daily at the same time if possible, same amount of clothing, same area. Patient is to weigh prior to eating/drinking in the morning. Notify home health or PCP if -/+ 3 lbs in a day or +/-5 lbs in a week is seen. SN educated patient to monitor blood pressure and pulse, and instructed to check before medications and if elevated/low recheck in 1-2 hours. SN educated patient to always log vitals so patients MD has a larger snap shot on what is going on.Patient/CG verbalized understanding
SN instructed on arteriosclerosis is hardening and thickening of the walls of the arteries. This condition can occur because of fatty deposits on the inner lining of arteries (atherosclerosis), calcification of the wall of the arteries, or thickening of the muscular wall of the arteries from chronically elevated blood pressure. When arteriosclerosis affects the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, a shortage of oxygen delivered to the heart itself may lead to a heart attack.
SN instructed on intermittent claudication which is a condition caused by narrowing of the arteries that supply the legs with blood. Intermittent claudication causes pain in your calves when walking, Patients with intermittent claudication develop pain when they walk because not enough oxygen-containing blood reaches the active leg muscles. There are two main ways to treat claudication: medication and a surgical treatment, called revascularization. Medication therapies are often used initially as they are non-invasive. Compression therapy can also be used as a noninvasive way to treat symptoms of claudication. Intermittent calf compression has been shown in studies to improve symptoms-free walking distance.
SN Instructed on Glucometer testing: Clean your hands and sampling area. Use hot water and soap to wash your hands. Clean the finger you’re going to prick with an alcohol swab, or with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. Assemble the device. Insert a test strip into the glucometer, ensuring your insert the proper end inward. Insert a lancet into the lancing device you use to prick your finger. Wait for the glucometer to prompt you for a sample. A readout on the glucometer will tell you to put the drop of blood on the strip. Test your blood sample. Prick your finger with the lancing device. This usually causes no, or very minimal, discomfort. Wait for your results. The glucometer will start to count down in seconds until your results are ready to read. Read the results. The results will show up on the digital screen of your glucometer. Results will vary depending on what time of day it is, how recently you ate, and what you ate.
Instructed patient if you are taking a blood thinner, be sure you get instructions about how to take your medicine safely. Blood thinners can cause serious bleeding problems.
SN educated patient and caregiver on Xarelto. Increased risk of bleeding. Xarelto can cause bleeding which can be serious, and may lead to death. This is because Xarelto is a blood thinner medicine (anticoagulant) that lowers blood clotting. During treatment with Xarelto you are likely to bruise more easily, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. You may be at higher risk of bleeding if you take Xarelto and have certain other medical problems.
SN taught patient rise slowly and pause prior to ambulation to ensure proper blood pressure adjustment. Pump ankle 5-10x to reduce risk of blood pressure drop after rising from seating position. Make sure you feel your seat on the back of your legs prior to sitting. Use appropriate assistive device to ambulate. Take extra precaution while turning, around rugs/mats and avoid walking backwards.