NSB024 Case Scenario: Pathophysiology, Hypovolemia

Hypovolemia
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Hypovolemia
Hypovolemia is a condition that leads to a shortage of fluid in one’s body. The disease can mainly be attributed to the reduction of fluid intake, extreme loss of blood, and finally, a fluid loss which subsequently leads to the reduction of extracellular fluid volume. Loss of blood or body fluids is often as a result of internal bleeding, external injuries, or some obstetric emergencies. According to Lloyd (2013), hypovolemic shocks occur when one has lost a fifth of their blood. It is hence essential to ensure that external injuries are treated fast and to have body checkups after accidents to prevent internal bleeding at later dates. The basis of this article is on a case scenario of Mr. Jensen who fractured his right tibia and fibula. A pathophysiology of Mr. Jensen’s post-operative hypovolemia, his priority problems, the nursing goals for his care, and finally, the nursing intervention mechanisms and rationales will be examined in this paper.
Pathophysiology of Mr. Jensen’s Post-Operative Hypovolemia
As already stated, post-operative hypovolemia often results from excessive loss of blood or body fluids. In Mr. Jensen’s case, it is apparent that he has lost a lot of blood as well as body fluids from his external injury and the subsequent surgery. All the above suggest or heightens the risks of him experiencing hypovolemic shock. When one loses blood or body fluids, the body often responds by trying to compensate for the loss so as to maintain cardiac output. Essentially, the body responds by making the heart beat faster and judging by the patient’s post-operative BPM of 107; the obvious conclusion is that his body was re-adjusting. Blood vessel constriction is also another way that a person’s body responds to blood and fluid losses and from the blood pressure measurements, Mr. Jensen’s BP has indeed fallen (from 155/100 to 104/55 mmHg).
According to the American Heart Association (AHA) (2016), if one’s systolic reading is between 140 and 159 and the diastolic reading is between 90 and 99 then such an individual is a Stage 1 case of high blood pressure. AHA went further and gave the readings for hypotension and as per their information, people with a systolic reading that is lower than 90 mmHG and a diastolic reading that is less than 60 mmHG are experiencing hypotension. Mr. Jensen’s readings pre and post-operation indicate that he initially was in the range of stage 1 hypertension, and currently, he is in the hypotension range. When one observes the patient’s blood pressure difference, the obvious conclusion is that he lost a lot of blood. The above is indeed reminiscent of the hypovolemic shock state, and this means that it is indeed of the essence that his body resumes normal functionalities and evens out the vital signs.
Initially, doctors used only to observe the changes in blood pressure to determine whether a patient is experiencing hypovolemic shock or not. However, according to Mistovich (2009), “a patient could be in a true ...