Cardiac/Respiratory Issues: Prevention, Health Promotion, & Resources

This report delves into the critical aspects of cardiac and respiratory health, focusing on coronary artery disease as a primary example. It outlines key steps for prevention and health promotion, emphasizing lifestyle modifications such as smoking cessation, dietary adjustments, and regular exercise. The report highlights the significance of controlling risk factors like high cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes. Furthermore, it discusses the necessary resources for non-acute care, emphasizing the vital role of nurses in providing patient education, support, and resources to foster patient independence and reduce hospital readmissions. The report stresses the importance of comprehensive patient education, including written and web-based materials, and the consideration of cultural and spiritual safety. It also underscores the value of encouraging adherence to prescribed treatments and promoting independent decision-making to manage minor issues at home. The provided references support the information presented, with a focus on the importance of patient education in cardiac care and the impact of lifestyle changes on patient outcomes.

Task 1
Identify a cardiac or respiratory issue and outline the key steps necessary to include
prevention and health promotion.
The cardiac issue identified for analysis is coronary artery disease which also termed as
coronary heart disease. Prevalence of coronary artery disease in the United States shows that
the risk of Heart disease increases with age for both genders. Recent statistics state that about
48% of older adults are suffering from Heart disease (Rosendorff et al. 2015)The prevalence
increases with factors like age, personal habits and hereditary. Risk factors of coronary heart
disease are high LDL cholesterol level, low HDL cholesterol, increased blood pressure,
family history of heart disease, increased blood sugar levels, smoking. Menopause in women
and age above 45 increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
Prevention of heart disease can be implemented by controlling the risk factors of the disease.
The major cause for the heart disease is smoking as Nicotine in the cigarettes increases the
blood pressure which can be the causative factor for the heart diseases. People with
hypertension need to limit the liquid and salt in the diet to maintain normal blood pressure.
Low-fat diet prevents obesity and heart disease (Nabel, & Braunwald, 2012). Lifestyle
changes can aid in preventing coronary artery disease. The habit of regular exercise helps in
the health promotion of an individual. People suffering from causative factors such as
hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes need to do follow-up regularly and take
the prescribed medications.
Task 2
Discuss what resources are often necessary for non-acute care for cardio-respiratory
issues. Explain how they support patient independence and decrease readmission.
The cardio-respiratory system is the vital functioning unit of the body. Cardiac issues can
directly affect the function and health of the respiration. The impaired cardio-respiratory

function can impact the working of the other organs like kidneys and liver. Cardio-respiratory
issues can increase dependency and repeated admissions in hospitals. Prevalence shows that
about 121.5 million people are affected by cardio-respiratory diseases. Common cardiac
diseases are that impacts the health of the American citizens are coronary artery disease, heart
attack, stroke and hypertension (de Melo Ghisi et al. 2014). In the United States, cardio-
respiratory issues are the number one cause of death. The nurses are the first-line health care
professional who works closely with hospitalized patients. Nurses are responsible for
providing the needed resources and information for lifestyle changes.
The nurse has to provide person-centred and family-centred care to ensure quality health care.
Health education needs to be provided based on the educational level and learning readiness
fo the patient and also the level of patient understanding has to be analysed. The nurse has to
provide information in various means which includes patient education, written information
and web-based education on the self-care at home (Spyropoulos, Tzavaras, Botsivaly, &
Koutsourakis, 2010). Cultural and spiritual safety are the vital factors need to be considered
while sharing the information. Provision of complete information during discharge is one of
the primary responsibility of the nursing staff. The nurse has to encourage the patient to
adhere to the provided data. The patient needs to be emphasized on diet, exercise, quit
smoking and regular follow up and medication. Independent decision making helps the
patient to manage the minor issues at home. The medical team have to support the patient in
decision making.

References
de Melo Ghisi, G. L., Abdallah, F., Grace, S. L., Thomas, S., & Oh, P. (2014). A systematic
review of patient education in cardiac patients: do they increase knowledge and
promote health behavior change?. Patient education and counseling, 95(2), 160-174
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399114000470
Nabel, E. G., & Braunwald, E. (2012). A tale of coronary artery disease and myocardial
infarction. New England Journal of Medicine, 366(1), 54-63
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmra1112570
Rosendorff, C., Lackland, D. T., Allison, M., Aronow, W. S., Black, H. R., Blumenthal, R.
S., ... & Gersh, B. J. (2015). Treatment of hypertension in patients with coronary
artery disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American
College of Cardiology, and American Society of Hypertension. Journal of the
American College of Cardiology, 65(18), 1998-2038
http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/65/18/1998.abstract
Spyropoulos, B., Tzavaras, A., Botsivaly, M., & Koutsourakis, K. (2010). Ensuring the
continuity of care of cardiorespiratory diseases at home. Methods of information in
medicine, 49(02), 156-160
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.3414/ME9305