Introduction
The following case study is a 52-year-old male client, John, who is a construction worker. John has been experiencing transient chest pains upon exertion. According to Robinson (2007), chest pain is a form of pain that occurs in the chest area. It is discomfort caused by the inability of the heart muscle to access blood rich oxygen. Chest pains bring discomfort to the victim’s neck, shoulder, back, and jaw. Fagard & Cornelissen (2007) urge that chest pain can be a symptom of a serious underlying health issue such as heart problems, hypertension, and angina or lung problems. The client had not been going for any medical checkup for quite sometimes, and when he had an appointment, his blood pressure was found measuring 150/100, which is rated for high blood pressure. The high blood pressure may be the major cause of the transient chest pains experienced by John. There is an urgent need to address the blood pressure to the normal level.
Precious Health Care Providers is a community health provider located on Madison Avenue, in New York. It has qualified health staff comprised of nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals. The health facilities provide care to patients at a subsidized rate.
The patient
This section presents a brief patient assessment including his case history as considered in the study. John is of medium proportion nearly six and a half feet tall, 52 years old American of African American ethnicity. John is married and has three children with whom they live together in an apartment in New York.
He works as a construction worker, though the profession is well paying it is seasonal. He does not have the ability to routinely pay for his health insurance, as sometimes jobs rarely come by, forcing him to use his savings to support the family. John considers himself a healthy individual who has seen him rarely pay a visit to health care facilities for medical checkups. He believes that the current health problems affecting him; the chest pain and recently diagnosed high blood pressure is as a result of his advancing age.
Symptoms and diagnosis
This section provides a description of John’s problems and their diagnosis. John initially complained of experiencing transient chest pain upon exertion. Though the chest pain was periodic, it affected his work delivery in the construction, which is energy and force demanding.
Though the chest pain episodes, which normally lasted for approximately five minutes were resolved through rest. John’s wife was concerned about her husband’s health which led them for a medical checkup at our facility. John’s blood pressure has been found to be 150/100, a measure indicating he has blood pressure. According to Marik & Varon (2007), a blood pressure measure of 150/100 is indicative of stage ii hypertension.
Plan
This section illustrates the treatment plan to deal with the patient’s health issue. The plan includes the components, application, and outcome.
Components
The stage ii hypertension was dealt by through lifestyle management approach. The 150/100 blood pressure indicated the need for the patient to begin a healthier lifestyle based on diet and exercise for the long term. In the meanwhile, the patient was given pressure controlling drugs.
Application
John was immediately given blood pressure reduction drugs. Together with his wife, they were taken through the dietary requirement regime to ensure he feeds well. He was advised to join a local gym where a health worker will monitor his progress. He will be coming for a bimonthly checkup.
Outcome
The behavioral therapy whereby the patient had to enroll to the gym for exercise and take a proper nutritional diet is working well. John’s blood pressure has tremendously reduced and its now approaching normal. This has since seen a reduction of the chest pain episodes.
Conclusion
The author hopes that the case study presented communicated a lot on the need to undergo a medical checkup and the risks of high blood pressure. With the help of health experts, one stands to avoid some of the health complications that may arise as a result of one’s job or age.
