Case Study Of Dr. Maxwell's Case

When looking at Dr. Maxwell’s case, it is evident that he is a clear victim of congestive heart failure. Dr. Maxwell’s medical history is the first piece of evidence that he has congestive heart failure. In fact, his medical history is very consistent with the pathophysiology of the disease. According to the Nelms et. al., pre- existing health issues are what lead to the initiation of this disease. 1 Comparing this to Dr. Maxwell’s medical history, we see that he has a long-standing history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, mitral valve insufficiency, and previous myocardial infarction. His history is consistent with the pathophysiology due to the fact that his past medical conditions are conditions in which worsen the condition, and function, of the heart. Moving on, we also discover

Cardiac cachexia is a form of wasting that occurs due to congestive heart failure. According to the Nelms et. al., the major factor adding to this is the lack of blood being pumped down to the digestive system.1 There is overall, a lack of stimulation which in turn affects a person’s desire to eat.1 One of the most important things to do in order to treat this condition is by consuming a diet that meets the needs of the patient. For instance, probably the most important things to consider is sodium restriction. According to UCSF Medical Center, this is important because it lessens the strain on the organs under stress.6 Although everyone works differently, “2,000 mg” is typically the level that most people are told to stay around.7 However, according to Nelms et. al., people can be told to stick to even lower limits.1 For instance, the Nelms et. al. claims that people have been given the okay for “1000 mg”.1 In the case of Dr. Maxwell, he appears to have a lower sodium reading in his chart. Perhaps this is due to his lack of consumption of foods and his use of substitute