BCP

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The patient was selected from a group of adult patients who presented to the clinic complaining of experiencing intermittent chest pains. Most patients who contributed to the clinic with this chief complaint were older adults over 62 with terminal illnesses such as heart attacks, cancers, and lung diseases. As a result, the patient became a perfect candidate for this project. The patient has consented to be involved in the project and has agreed to provide the information required.

The patient identifies himself as Shawn Davis (S.D). The patient is a 47 year old African American male who presents to the clinic complaining of experiencing intermittent chest pains that began two weeks ago when he was trimming grass in his backyard. The patient suggests that he has been feeling generally weak and tired for the past two days after the onset of the symptoms. The patient explains that the pain mainly occurs in the midstream and intermittently twice or thrice in one week. The patient states that he feels like the pressure is being exerted on his chest or a pressing heavy weight. The patient suggests that he has tried self-medication using anti-acids and massaging the chest to relieve the feeling, but there is no relief. He explains that when he ignores the pain, it radiates to the neck. He also suggests that he experienced symptoms such as shortness of breath when he was experiencing pain and reduced pain after rest, coughing, and nausea. The patient appears to be generally strong, and he sits upright. He has clear communication, and he has dressed appropriately for his age. After the assessment, the patient was diagnosed with pneumonia, which affected the lungs, thus causing chest pain.

The patients live with his wife, and he has two sons. He works as a janitor in the city and primarily works in dusty compounds that can cause bacterial infections. His wife works as a teacher in an elementary school; one of his sons is a police officer; the other is in college pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. The patient’s wife has no health complaints or conditions. The patient’s grandparents are both deceased. The grandfather died at the age of 93 years due to hypertension and obesity, while the grandmother died at 90 due to Alzheimer’s disease. Both parents are alive and live in the countryside, where they work as farmers. The father is 70 years old and has a history of diabetes. The mother is 68 years old, and he has a history of asthma and eczema. The patient explains that he does not smoke tobacco or use illegal drugs but consumes a can of beer daily after work. He also explains that he exercises regularly to stay fit and avoid obesity. The patient denies being allergic to any foods or medication. The patient states that he has been involved in two surgeries. One of the surgeries was on his knee due to an injury he acquired while playing football. He also had back surgery due to an injury received while playing football leading to the end of his career as a football player. The patient is a Christian and appears very religious since he keeps stating that God will help him overcome the pain.

The patient explains he is currently under pneumonia medications, BOTH azithromycin, and erythromycin. Pneumonia is a bacterial infection that affects the air sacs in the lungs, causing fluid or pus to fill in the air sacs and causing difficulty breathing, chest pain coughs, and nausea (Kumar & Raghavendran, 2021). Patients with pneumonia can present different signs and symptoms, such as experiencing chest pains, fatigue, shortness of breath, and coughs. Other germs cause pneumonia, the most common being bacteria and viruses that an individual inhales. Based on the patient assessment, he suggested that he works as a janitor and may have encountered pneumonia germs while working. The patient has been introduced to antibiotic medications to treat pneumonia and relief chest pain and shortness of breath. In the patient's case, his pneumonia has been caused by a bacterial infection, which makes it possible to treat it using antibiotics. In cases where a virus infection has caused a patient's pneumonia, the patient cannot receive antibiotic medication since they are ineffective. The patient has been prescribed azithromycin antibiotics since they are most effective in adults. Antibiotics help in killing the bacteria and make them unable to replicate.

As a result of consuming antibiotics, the patient will experience different side and adverse effects. One of the side effects is that they may experience gastrointestinal discomforts such as diarrhea, stomach upset, loss of appetite, and vomiting. Other side effects the patient may experience are skin issues such as allergic reactions, skin swelling, yeast infection, and sensitivity to sunlight. Antibiotics help the body by killing all bacteria in the body. Some of these bacteria are useful in the body since they assist in digesting food and boosting our immune system (Hamao et al., 2019). When one consumes antibiotics, it destroys some beneficial bacteria, which causes some complications in the body. After the patient was prescribed the antibiotics, he was educated on the side effects that he may experience and how to deal with the side effects. He was also educated on the most appropriate lifestyle to help him heal faster and boost his immunity.

References

Hamao, N., Ito, I., Konishi, S., Tanabe, N., Oi, I., & Hirai, T. (2019). Frequency of side effects in the antibiotic treatment for pneumonia.

Kumar, A., & Raghavendran, M. (2021). Ventilator-associated pneumonia. RGUHS Journal of Nursing Sciences,  11(2).