KANSAS MALPRACTICE SETTLEMENT
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cardiovascular disease is well understood by physicians, is continual, consistent, and independent of other risk factors. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. For individuals between 40 and 70 years of age, each increment of 20mmHg in systolic blood pressure or 10mmHg in diastolic blood pressure, doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease across the entire blood pressure range from 115/75 mmHg to 185/115 mmHg. |
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Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that effective blood pressure control can be achieved in most patients who are hypertensive, but the majority will require two or more anti-hypertensive drugs. The JNC 7 (see accompanying article below) concluded that, “when clinicians fail to prescribe lifestyle modifications, adequate hypertensive drug doses, or appropriate drug combinations, inadequate blood pressure control
may result”.
Major lifestyle modifications effective in lowering blood pressure include weight reduction |
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for those who are overweight or obese, a diet rich in potassium and calcium, dietary reduction of salt, increased physical activity, and moderation or elimination of alcohol consumption. The above lifestyle modifications can reduce a patient’s blood pressure and enhance the effectiveness of hypertensive drug therapy and decrease the cardiovascular risk to the patient. The bottom line is that due to advances in the treatment of high blood pressure, through changes in lifestyle, diet, and improved medications, hypertension can be controlled and the risk of its sequellae, including heart attack and stroke, greatly diminished.
After suit was filed, the case was
resolved against the physician for the policy limits. The case is still pending against the nurses based on allegations that they failed to obtain and record blood pressure readings in the patient’s chart on numerous office visits.
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