Lorazepam Case Study

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1. What would you do in your professional role? Based on Brenna Jone’s health information, I would mainly approach her medications. My reasoning for this is because her lab values, besides her A1c and Cholesterol, are stable. Brenna’s vitals, besides her blood pressure, are also normal, and her health history has been identified due to her extensive medication list. Examples of medications that are concerning are lorazepam, vicodin, betaxolol, and lisinopril. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine, which is a short-term antianxiety medication. This is concerning because Brenna is still having anxiety. Therefore, a healthcare provider should be consulted to determine if switching the medication would be beneficial in decreasing Brenna’s anxiety. Lorazepam is also a CNS …show more content…
Over 25 years ago, Brenna was prescribed Vicodin 5/500 mg for her knee pain. Since the patient is having continuous pain and is also diagnosed with degenerative joint disease, switching the pain medication may be to the patient’s advantage. For the patient’s high blood pressure, she is on two blood pressure medications. One medication is lisinopril, and the other is betaxolol that is also for her glaucoma. Although the patient’s blood pressure is still considerably high with her medications, balance problems can also be a side effect with them (Harvard Health Publishing, n.d.). Lastly, the patient’s diabetic medications, glipizide and lantus, may also not be providing a therapeutic effect for the patient. One common reason for dry mouth is abnormal insulin production and/or absorption rates (Katz, n.d.). Thus saying, the patient’s medications for her diabetes might not be working efficiently if she is still having side effects. As a nurse, I would consult the patient’s provider and pharmacists regarding medications. I would also refer the patient to a physical therapist to discuss starting