Handout for Assignment 6.1:  Hypertensive Patient

Read the following case scenario:
    Antihypertensive drugs are prescribed to minimize cardiovascular risk as well as potential patient inconveniences and side effects. Maggie Morton, a 62-year-old black female is being seen by the physician today for a follow-up examination. She has been diagnosed with extremely high blood pressure. During your initial consultation with the patient, she states that she stopped taking her current medication, nitroprusside, because she was not pleased with the side effects. As a healthcare provider, you know that to prevent hypertension-related crises, the patient must routinely take prescribed medication. You have been asked to address this non-adherence with the patient.
Complete the following exercise:
1.    Use the Internet to identify the side effects associated with the patients primary prescription drug, nitroprusside.

2.    Obtain additional information on three other drugs: diazoxide, fenoldopam, and phentolamine.

3.    Create a list of the benefits and risks associated with both the current drug and the three alternative drugs. Rank them according to inconvenience, discomfort, and life-threatening side effects.

4.    Compose a 250-word statement of how you might counsel the patient on the issue of non-adherence. Be sure to include information regarding the drugs themselves and offer any potentially alternative drugs that might have fewer side effects.