Nursing Case Study for Rheumatic Heart Disease

Hey everyone. My name is Abby. We’re going to go through a case study for rheumatic heart disease together. Let’s get started. In this scenario, Ms. Patel is a 19 year old female who recently immigrated to the US from India due to poor conditions in her home village. Today, she presents to the emergency department with fluttering in the chest, which is sometimes uncomfortable. She also complains of fatigue and occasional shortness of breath. She has no primary care provider and works at her family’s hotel, primarily cleaning the rooms. She says the issue is starting to impact her work. Now let’s take a look at critical thinking checks number one and number two below.

Great job upon further assessment. The patient has mild peripheral edema. Heart auscultation indicates a pansystolic murmur and lung auscultation reveals crackles in all fields. Her vital signs are as follows: her blood pressure is 134/84 mmHg. Oxygen saturation on room air 92%, heart rate 102 beats per minute with a regular rhythm, and a respiratory rate of 12 at rest and 30 with exertion. Her temperature is 37.2 degrees Celsius. After looking at these vital signs, let’s take a look at the critical thinking checks below. We’ll go to number three.

Excellent work. Cardiac enzymes were drawn and the results are still pending. The EKG was ordered and the 12 lead report reads: Sinus tachycardia with mild to moderate mitral regurgitation. A chest x-ray and a transthoracic echocardiogram were ordered. A pregnancy test was negative. Ms. Patel asks why she needs these tests. The provider confides in the nurse that he suspects rheumatic heart disease. Let’s take a look at our critical thinking checks number four and number five below.

Great job. The nurse has Ms. Patel on continuous cardiac monitoring per the provider’s order. He notices a change in the P wave on the monitor, however, the QRS complex remains narrow. He checks on the patient and she reports no chest pain but feels a “flutter” in her chest. Cardiac enzymes were negative. Now let’s take a look at our critical thinking check number six below.

Well done. The provider is advised of the EKG changes and he comes in to tell the patient about the chest X-ray which indicates cardiomegaly and mild interstitial pulmonary edema. An echocardiogram reveals mitral regurgitation, thickened mitral leaflets, and dilated left atrium and ventricle. After the provider leaves, Ms. Patel asks what that means. Knowing all of this, let’s take a look at critical thinking check number seven below.

Excellent. The provider consults cardiology for the patient. When the specialist arrives, he mentions possible heart surgery, but is not specific about what type. Now that we know all of this, let’s take a look at our critical thinking check number eight below.

Great job, Ms. Patel is discharged after an influenza vaccine with instructions to follow up with cardiology. Discharge medications include spironolactone, which she will take by mouth 50 milligrams per day. That’s her diuretic. She’s also been prescribed an aspirin by mouth of 81 milligrams per day. Lastly, she’s going to start a new medication called Enalapril. She’ll take that by mouth as well, 2.5 milligrams every day, and that will bring us to our critical thinking check number nine. Let’s go there now.

Great work everyone, that wraps up this case study on rheumatic heart disease. Please take a look at the attached study tools and test your knowledge with a practice quiz. We love you all. Now, go out and be your best self today. And as always happy nursing.

References:

Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Rheumatic Heart Disease: Implications for Closing the Gap: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association
Raman ; Kumar, Manuel J. Antunes, Andrea Beaton, Mariana Mirabel, Vuyisile T. Nkomo, Emmy Okello, Prakash Raj Regmi, Boglarka Reményi, Karen Sliwa-Hähnle, Liesl Joanna Zühlke, Craig Sable. Originally published19 Oct 2020, https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000921; from uptodate: Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease
Authors:Liesl Zühlke, MBChB DCH FCPaeds Cert Card MPH FESC FACC MSc PhDFerande Peters, MBBCH FCP(SA) FESC FACC FRCP (London) last updated Dec, 2021; Management and prevention of rheumatic heart disease
Authors:Liesl Zühlke, MBChB DCH FCPaeds Cert Card MPH FESC FACC MSc PhDBlanche Cupido, MBChB, FCP, Cert CardioSection Editor:Patricia A Pellikka, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASE, last updated Oct, 2021