Fluid Balance Discussion

Review the discussion forum guidelines (Links to an external site.) and rubric (Links to an external site.) before posting. Respond to the questions posted below, and then respond to at least one student who commented on your original posting. Please remember to include APA citations for your information where appropriate.

List common causes of fluid volume deficit and fluid volume overload. In a chart format, provide the assessment findings that constitute a patient with Fluid deficit (hypovolemia) vs. Fluid overload (hypervolemia).

Meet the Client: Patty Mills

Patty Mills is a 74-year-old female with a past medical history of coronary artery disease with stent placement, hypertension, and diabetes. Her son brought her to the Emergency Department because she has become increasingly weak and confused and was found by a neighbor wandering her neighborhood unable to locate her home. Patty’s son tells the nurse that his mother takes a “water pill” for her blood pressure 2 or 3 times a day. The label on the medication bottle that she brought to the hospital states, “Furosemide 40mg BID”.  Patty is admitted with fluid volume deficit.

1. What health challenges does your patient face? (Please give more than one). – (This is not a list of their symptoms, but critical elements that will cause/place the pt. a risk for a global problem, ex; pt. is immobile, NPO, and incontinent – one of the global issue here is r/t skin )
2. What on-going assessments and monitoring does your patient require related to their health challenges? (ie both inpatient and outpatient)
3. What education does your patient need at this time? (This could be new medications, new procedures, new way of living? Think about what the pt. will need once they are discharged as well) How do you plan to effectively provide this education?
4. What is your patient’s primary (priority) nursing diagnosis? (must place all three components of a nursing diagnosis for full points)
   a. Why does this take priority?
5. What nursing actions will you take in providing care to your patient? (Please think about the patient holistically. This should be a fairly comprehensive list. Include all necessary interventions related to the primary diagnosis, must be measurable and specific).