Reference no: EM133362338

DISCUSSION:

For Mr. Mathis the priority would take place for the infected foot. The problem is the cut from which the patient had stepped on. The cause or etiology was the sharp item the patient walked on while he was barefoot and the symptoms are his subjective 8/10 pain but also the purulent drainage from site, with redness and inflammation. With doing our assessment of his he appears anxious and needs reassurance from his wife but the cut on the foot should take priority.

The cut takes priority due to not only his high self-scaled pain level but the red, inflamed and purulent drainage from the cut site indicates and infection in the wound. (Young, 2017) This would be deemed more of a concern in Maslow's hierarchy because his physiological needs are more important due to the infection and causing him immense pain that would lead to a fever and the infection spreading systemically.

Nursing actions that could be done is taking Mr. and Mrs. Mathis to a private room away to give them a sense of calm and away from a lot of the social anxiety that comes from the hospital setting. With his age and lack of mobility a fall risk could be issued for Mr. Mathis but as he has been mostly staying in bed making sure he has a bed pan and is placed in a comfortable position that does not bring anymore pain to his infected foot. Taking his vitals will most likely include a higher body temperature due to fighting an infection, higher blood pressure, pulse and respirations from the infection but also the anxiety and the anxiousness from being hospitalized for the first time in his life.

Interventions would be providing IV antibiotics and cleaning the infected site and keeping any more outside microorganisms from being introduced to the wound site. Being an older gentlemen Mr. Mathis would most likely have a slower blood circulation and with him staying in bed due to his pain leaves him susceptible to have blood pool in his legs that could lead to venous thromboembolism. With the patient being unable to move graduated compression stocking can be placed on the patient to help promote blood flow as well as anticoagulants could be prescribed but with him being in the surgical unit it could not prescribed if going into surgery. (CDC, 2022)

For the patients anxiety it would depend on initial interactions, you notice that he is always looking for reassurance from his wife and notified you of his anxiousness due to being in the hospital for the first time. Being available and notifying them that you are there to help them through their time in the hospital and being patient and answering any and all questions to provide comfort and less in the dark of what is going on. With being in the hospital for the first time they are unaware of how things are ran and the overall atmosphere so they are confused and anxious and being patient and available to them to support them in there time of need.

QUESTIONS

1. Would you give the patient an assistive device to get out of bed with his age?

2. How would you try to gain the patient and his wife's trust?