Below is a summary of Brittany’s EHR activity during her first hour in the ED. As a health coach, your job is to recommend lifestyle changes to alleviate symptoms, prevent symptoms from recurring and decrease the need for future emergency care or hospitalization. You will also provide Brittany the education she needs to understand her diagnosis and the risk factors that may have caused her condition. Using her EHR, Virtual Physical Exam (VPE) and Internet research, answer the questions below and be prepared to discuss the responses with the rest of Brittany’s healthcare team.
Review Brittany’s ED EHR: You review Brittany’s EHR and notice several diagnoses. List these diagnoses.
Internet Research: For each of the diagnoses above, provide information to educate Brittany on how they could impact her future health.
Internet Research: One of Brittany’s diagnoses is a spine fracture which could include a spinal cord injury. As her health coach, you begin to put in place a plan to help her learn to live with her new condition. What might this plan include?
Review Brittany’s VPE: The physician ordered an x-ray and CT scan of Brittany’s body. Explain these tests and results to Brittany.
Internet Research: Brittany was unconscious for 30 minutes after the accident. The physician has indicated, in her EHR radiology results, that she is experiencing swelling of the brain. What are the possible long-term effects of brain swelling?