Case Study: Vertebral Artery Occlusion in a Patient with Diabetes and Hypertension

Running head: CASE STUDY
Case study
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1CASE STUDY
Part 1:
The patient, James Bourne in the provided case study has been presented to the
emergency with the primary problems of severe headache and a feeling of dizziness. The
provided patient data also suggests that the Mr.James suffers from the chronic illness of Diabetes
and Hypertension. During the time of patient, admission, the pain assessment score for the
patient was 8/10 which suggested that the intensity of the pain experienced by the patient was
severe. Also, the presenting complaints of the patient included a double vision as well as feeling
of dizziness. A vital assessment of the patient was conducted before admission which revealed
abnormality of the vital signs. The temperature was reported to be to 36.5ᵒ C which was around
the normal range and the pulse rate was reported to be 73 beats per minute, which again was
normal as the normal pulse range is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. The respiratory rate was
observed to be around 15 breaths per minute which was also within the normal range of 12 to 20
breaths per minute. The blood pressure and SpO2 was assessed to be 170/90 and 94% at room
temperature. The blood pressure was significantly elevated considering the normal range of
120/80 mm Hg. The SpO2 level however was estimated lower than the normal range of 96% to
99%. In addition to this, the blood glucose level was reported to be 6.5 mmol/L suggesting that
the patient’s blood glucose level was poorly managed. The eye assessment stated that the pupil
response was brisk and was equivalent, round as well as appropriately reactive to light. The
Glascow Coma Score had been reported to be 15 and the pupil size was reported reported
equivalent to 3mm on the left as well as right side. In addition to this, the other complaints
included weakness and loss of strength of the let limb. The right limb on the other hand was
normal and overall the patient was diagnosed for the medical condition of vertebral artery
occlusion.

2CASE STUDY
The evidence base in this regard states that the manifestation and clinical symptoms of
the disorder widely vary from one person to other. The cause that can be attributed to the same
can be explained as the condition that triggered occlusion as well as the place where the ischemia
has supposedly taken place (Naylor et al., 2018). It is pivotal to note here that the most prevalent
symptoms of the medical condition comprise of headache, feeling of stiffness or numbness
within the muscles, experiencing vertigo and dizziness (van Houwelingen et al., 2016). Also,
symptoms such as diplopia, altered mental status as well as weakness or hemiparesis are
common and manifest with the disorder.
The vertebrobasilar arterial system consists of the vertebral as well as basilar arteries and
is located in the posterior-region of the brain. The vertebrobasilar arterial system is responsible
for maintaining the optimal supply of oxygenated blood and important nutrients to different parts
of the body that includes vital organs such as brain stem and the cerebellum (Moon et al., 2017).
The deposition of cholesterol and fatty acid substances within the arterial surfaces causes
contraction of the arterial surface. This leads to interrupted blood circulation which triggers the
formation of a blockage or an occlusion (Qureshi et al., 2017). The formation of occlusion is
even more risk prone in patients suffering from hypertension and this is broadly on account of
the excess strain that is exerted within the arteries. Therefore, in a nutshell it can be said that the
constriction of the arteries on account of deposition of fatty substance or cholesterol increases the
probability of formation of clot and the formation of clot can cut down the supply of nutrition
and oxygen to other parts of the body which can leads to paralysis or stroke (Jenkins & Stewart,
2017).

3CASE STUDY
Part 3:
During the time of discharge, the priority nursing diagnoses would include;
 Pain management
 Lack of strength in the left limb
In order to facilitate complete recovery of the patient, the short-term and the long-term illness
goals would be specified. The short-term goals would essentially focus on immediate
recovery goals and the long-term goals would focus on the attainment of the holistic recovery
goal. Thus, the short-term goals for the patient would comprise of the following:
 Demonstration of stable vital signs
 Effective pain management
The long term recovery goals would include the following:
 Patient would be able to walk without assistance
 Patient would be able to regulate and monitor the blood glucose level
Demonstration of stable vital signs: According to Vargas et al. (2017), it has been mentioned that
a stable set of vital signs exhibits a stable physiological state. This accounts for the reason why
prior to discharge planning it is integral to ensure that the vital signs of the patient is stable. In
order to ensure the same hourly vital sign assessment of the patient would be carried out.
Effective pain management: During presentment, the patient had complained of pain with pain
score (8/10). During discharge planning the pain score suggests minimal pain, however, the
patient would still be prescribed over the counter aspirins or other non-steroidal pain relief
medication so as to assist with the recovery process (Shafafy et al., 2017).