Antibiotics Affecting the Bacterial Cell Wall

South Florida Community College Vancomycin Drug Case Study

Case Study, Chapter 39, Antibiotics Affecting the Bacterial Cell Wall

Gerald Lake, 33 years old, is hospitalized with endocarditis, an infection he acquired from IV drug abuse. He is in a special isolation room because he has MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection). You are careful to use gloves when you work around him and do not leave his room without discarding gloves in a proper receptacle. You hung his IV antibiotic of vancomycin and set the IV pump to infuse the medication over 1 hour. When you return 15 minutes later to check on him, you find half of the medication has already been infused.

The key information from the nursing assessment includes the following:

• His face, chest, arms, and back are diffusely red.

• He is shaking and reports that he feels chilled.

• Vital signs: temperature, 100.6°F; pulse, 120; respirations, 24; blood pressure, 84/56 The patient is currently on vancomycin, 1 gm IV q6h

1. Why is Gerald on this drug? Vancomycin

2. Are there any contraindications or precautions that would eliminate the use of this drug for Gerald?

3. What core patient variables are most important to consider for Gerald when assessing drug therapy?

4. Which findings from the nursing assessment demonstrate the effectiveness or possible adverse effects from drug therapy?

5. What teaching is required for Gerald regarding his drug therapy? Do you need any additional data to determine appropriate teaching?

 a. Identify the teaching needs and readiness to learn for this client.

b. Identify any cultural factors that influence the care for this client. Answer the questions associated with the case study Write in complete sentences, narrative form, using one paragraph for each question. Include a minimum of two (2) references from a credible source. Use APA format as follows:

c. Times New Roman, 12 font, 1-inch margins, and double spaced

d. In the header, identify the chapter number and your last name

e. Use in-text citations to support your decisions

 f. References: use your course texts, journals, web sites, etc.