Question

A 48-year-old woman comes to the clinic for a routine wellness checkup. In speaking with the nurse, the patient reports she has an intermittent aching feeling in her left lower abdomen and feels sluggish at times. She describes herself as a “couch potato” and says she gets a lot of exercise at her job and driving her sons to various activities. When the nurse palpates the abdominal area, the patient denies pain at the time but expresses that she is getting tired of feeling this ache and cannot explain why it is there. The patient is a busy mother of three boys and works from 7 am to 3 pm daily in a day care center near her home.

1. Identify the clinical problem(s) in the case study.
2. In speaking further with the patient, the nurse discovers that the patient does not eat breakfast because of her early work schedule and that she routinely eats a lunch consisting of a banana, diet soda, and pizza. The patient also reports her last bowel movement was 3 days ago, which is a change in her bowel habits. Based on all the information so far, what problem(s) should the nurse consider the patient may have?
3. After a thorough examination and testing, it is determined that the patient’s symptoms are due to constipation. Explain what education the nurse can provide to the patient to assist her in dealing with this problem.

Answer 1

ANSWER 1:- THE CLINICAL PROBLEMS IN THIS CASE STUDY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. An intermittent aching feeling in her left lower abdomen.

2. Feeling of sluggishness.

3. As the client describes herself a 'couch potato' so she is obese with less activity.

ANSWER 2:- Based on information the client takes fast food without having proper breakfast and is having no bowel movement since 3 days which suggests she has a problem of constipation due to irritable bowel disease caused due to fast food.

ANSWER 3:-  Education the nurse can provide to the patient to assist her in dealing with this problem is :

1. To avoid having Pizza and diet coke at lunch routinely as fast food taken regularly causes irritable bowel habits.

2. To not skip the breakfast at any cost. Wake an hour earlier but make sure to have your breakfast.

3. Since client called herself 'Couch Potato' which indicates that client is obese and lays on couch while being sluggish to do exercise so the nurse would suggest her to do regular exercise and work on losing weight.

4. To take vegetables and fruits in adequate amount to avoid constipation and it will eventually help in losing weight as well.

5. To have good amount of water instead of diet soda to avoid irritable bowel habits as water helps in good bowel habits.