14 Jan Constitutional: Lightheaded and faint w

Week 2: ACC/AHA Guidelines Discussion

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Please review the following case.

Chief complaint: medication refill “ran out of medicine”

HPI: BJ, a 68-year-old AA female presents to the clinic for prescription refills. The patient also indicates that she has noticed shortness of breath which started about 3 months ago. The SOB gets worse with activity, especially when she is playing with her grandchildren but it goes away once she sits down to rest. She reports that she is also bothered by shortness of breath that wakes her up at night, but it resolves after sitting upright on 3 pillows. She also has lower leg edema which started 1 week ago. She also indicates that she often feels light headed and faint while going up the stairs, but it subsides after sitting down to rest. She has not tried any OTC medications at home. She never filled her prescriptions, which she received at her checkup 6 months ago, she did not think it was important.

PMH:

Hypertension

Previous history of MI in 2010

Surgeries:

2010-Left Anterior Descending (LAD) cardiac stent placement

Allergies: Amoxicillin

Vaccination History:

She receives an annual flu shot. Last flu shot was this year

Has never had a Pneumovax

Has not had a Td in over 20 years

Has not had the herpes zoster vaccine

Social history:

High school graduate, a widow with one son who loves out of state. She drinks one 4-ounce glass of red wine daily. She is a former smoker that stopped 20 years ago.

Family history:

Both parents are deceased. Father died of a heart attack; mother died of natural causes. She had one brother who died of a heart attack 20 years ago at the age of 52.

ROS:

Constitutional: Lightheaded and faint with exertion.

Respiratory: Shortness of breath with exertion (playing with grandchildren and stairs). + Orthopnea

Cardiovascular: + leg and ankle swelling x 1 week

Psychiatric: Not taking medications for 6 months – “ran out”

Physical examination:

Vital Signs