Assignment: Assessing and Treating Patients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Psychosis and schizophrenia greatly impact the brain’s normal processes, which interfere with the ability to think clearly. When symptoms of these disorders are uncontrolled, patients may struggle to function in daily life. However, patients often thrive when properly diagnosed and treated under the close supervision of a psychiatric mental health practitioner. For this Assignment, as you examine the patient case study in this week’s Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat patients presenting with psychosis and schizophrenia.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Review this week’s Learning Resources, including the Medication Resources indicated for this week.
Reflect on the psychopharmacologic treatments you might recommend for the assessment and treatment of patients with schizophrenia-related psychoses.
The Assignment: 5 pages
Examine Case Study: Pakistani Woman With Delusional Thought Processes. You will be asked to make three decisions concerning the medication to prescribe to this patient. Be sure to consider factors that might impact the patient’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
At each decision point, you should evaluate all options before selecting your decision and moving throughout the exercise. Before you make your decision, make sure that you have researched each option and that you evaluate the decision that you will select. Be sure to research each option using the primary literature.
Introduction to the case (1 page)
Briefly explain and summarize the case for this Assignment. Be sure to include the specific patient factors that may impact your decision making when prescribing medication for this patient.
Decision #1 (1 page)
Which decision did you select?
Why did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
Explain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
Decision #2 (1 page)
Why did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
Explain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
Decision #3 (1 page)
Why did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
Explain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
Conclusion (1 page)
Summarize your recommendations on the treatment options you selected for this patient. Be sure to justify your recommendations and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
Note: Support your rationale with a minimum of five academic resources. While you may use the course text to support your rationale, it will not count toward the resource requirement. You should be utilizing the primary and secondary literature.
Reminder : The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632). All papers submitted must use this formatting.
BACKGROUND
The client is a 34-year-old Pakistani female who moved to the United States in her late teens/early 20s. She is currently in an “arranged” marriage (her husband was selected for her when she was 9 years old). She presents following a 21-day hospitalization for what was diagnosed as “brief psychotic disorder.” She was given this diagnosis as her symptoms have persisted for less than 1 month.
Prior to admission, she was reporting visions of Allah, and over the course of a week, she believed that she was the prophet Mohammad. She believed that she would deliver the world from sin. Her husband became concerned about her behavior to the point that he was afraid of leaving their 4 children with her. One evening, she was “out of control,” which resulted in his calling the police and her subsequent admission to an inpatient psych unit.
During today’s assessment, she appears quite calm and insists that the entire incident was “blown out of proportion.” She denies that she believed herself to be the prophet Mohammad and states that her husband was just out to get her because he never loved her and wanted an “American wife” instead of her. She says she knows this because the television is telling her so.
She currently weighs 140 lbs., and she is 5’ 5.

SUBJECTIVE
Client reports that her mood is “good.” She denies auditory/visual hallucinations but believes that the television talks to her. She believes that Allah sends her messages through the TV. At times throughout the clinical interview, she becomes hostile towards you but then calms down.
A review of her hospital records shows that she received a medical workup from physician, who reported her to be in overall good health. Lab studies were all within normal limits.
Client admits that she stopped taking her Risperdal about a week after she got out of the hospital because she thinks her husband is going to poison her so that he can marry an American woman.

MENTAL STATUS EXAM
The client is alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event. She is dressed appropriately for the weather and time of year. She demonstrates no noteworthy mannerisms, gestures, or tics. Her speech is slow and, at times, interrupted by periods of silence. Self-reported mood is euthymic. Affect is constricted. Although the client denies visual or auditory hallucinations, she appears to be “listening” to something. Delusional and paranoid thought processes as described above. Insight and judgment are impaired. She is currently denying suicidal or homicidal ideation.
You administer the PANSS which reveals the following scores:
-40 for the positive symptoms scale
-20 for the negative symptom scale
-60 for general psychopathology scale
Diagnosis: Schizophrenia, paranoid type

RESOURCES
PANSS Scale. Available at: http://egret.psychol.cam.ac.uk/medicine/scales/PANSS
§ Kay, S. R., Fiszbein, A., & Opler, L. A. (1987). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 13(2), 261–276. doi:10.1093/schbul/13.2.261
https://www.clozapinerems.com/CpmgClozapineUI/rems/pdf/resources/Clozapine_REMS_A_Guide_for_Healthcare_Providers.pdf
§ Clozapine REMS Program. (n.d.). Clozapine REMS: A guide for healthcare providers. Retrieved September 7, 2016, from https://www.clozapinerems.com/CpmgClozapineUI/rems/pdf/resources/Clozapine_REMS_A_Guide_for_Healthcare_Providers.pdf
http://www.ima.org.il/FilesUpload/IMAJ/0/40/20149.pdf
§ Paz, Z., Nalls, M., and Ziv, E. (2011). The genetics of benign neutropenia. Israel Medical Association Journal, 13(10), 625–629. Retrieved from http://www.ima.org.il/FilesUpload/IMAJ/0/40/20149.pdf
Decision Point One

Start Zyprexa (olanzapine) 10 mg orally at BEDTIME
RESULTS OF DECISION POINT ONE
Client returns to clinic in four weeks
Her PANSS decreases to a partial response (decrease in positive symptoms by 25%)
She comes in today with a reported weight gain of 5 pounds. When questioned further on this point, she states that she can never seem to get full from her meals, so she is snacking constantly throughout the day
Delusional Disorders
Pakistani Female With Delusional Thought Processes
Decision Point One

Start Zyprexa (olanzapine) 10 mg orally at BEDTIME
RESULTS OF DECISION POINT ONE
Client returns to clinic in four weeks
Her PANSS decreases to a partial response (decrease in positive symptoms by 25%)
She comes in today with a reported weight gain of 5 pounds. When questioned further on this point, she states that she can never seem to get full from her meals, so she is snacking constantly throughout the day
Decision Point Two

Decrease Zyprexa to 7.5 mg orally at BEDTIME
RESULTS OF DECISION POINT TWO
Client returns to clinic in four weeks
Result of next decision (what happened): Client worsens (her positive symtpoms scale increased by 25% and her negative symptom scale score decreased by 10% indicating improved negative symptoms), but her weight becomes stabilized and excessive hunger abates
Husband explains that she is becoming less manageable at home, and he has to take time off from work because he is fearful of leaving her alone
Decision Point Three

Increase Zyprexa 10 MG orally at BEDTIME
Guidance to Student
Weight gain is a significant problem with Zyprexa. Next to Clozaril (clozapine), Zyprexa causes the most weight gain of all the atypical antipsychotics. This is a side effect that a significant number of clients will experience. There also appears to be an increased association of newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus in clients treated with Zyprexa. Although this can be disease related in this population, Zyprexa is above what would be considered coincidental.
Risperdal is a good option, although it is dosed twice daily and compliance in this population can be problematic. There is evidence that shows giving Risperdal all at once can be efficacious and therefore could be an option down the road should compliance become an issue. Weight gain is also possible with Risperdal, but it is not as great as that seen with Zyprexa. If compliance does become an issue with this client, Risperdal has a long-acting injectable formulation, Risperdal Consta, that could be used. Remember, Risperdal Consta has to be given every 2 weeks at the provider’s office, and therapeutic blood levels take time to achieve (on average 3–6 weeks or 2–3 injections). Oral overlapping therapy is required to bridge this period of time. Another option in someone who responds to Risperdal would be Invega Sustenna (paliperidone palmitate), which is the first metabolite of Risperdal and has greater activity at the D2 receptor than Risperdal. An advantage of Invega Sustenna over Risperdal Consta is that therapeutic blood levels are attained within the first 4–7 days, and overlapping oral therapy is usually not necessary. A disadvantage is that during the initiating phase of medication, the first two doses need to be given within 4–7 days of one another. This is followed by monthly injections. There is another product on the market called Invega Trinza, which is given once every 3 months. This product is for clients who have been stabilized on Invega Sustenna for at least 4 months where the last two doses were the same strength (two months of 156 mg injections).
Increasing Zyprexa to 15 mg at bedtime will only worsen the weight gain side effect. While additional benefits from increasing the dose may be possible from an efficacy standpoint, side effects always need to be taken into consideration. “First, do no harm.” Qsymia is a weight loss medication that is a combination of phentermine and topiramate. It is only indicated to treat obesity. This client’s BMI (28.9 kg/M2) does not fit the definition of obesity (BMI >30 Kg/M2- Following from CDC website: Class 1: BMI of 30 to < 35, Class 2: BMI of 35 to < 40, Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher. Class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as “extreme” or “severe” obesity). There are two things wrong with this therapy option. First, there are only a few occasions where add-on therapy to treat a side effect is acceptable, and weight gain is not one of those scenarios. Secondly, phentermine has a lot of cardiovascular toxicities (such as elevated BP, HR, and increased workload on the heart). example sample his paper discusses three major decisions regarding the medication to be prescribed to this client suffering from Schizophrenia, paranoid type. A description of the expected outcomes and actual outcomes will be provided for every decision with an explanation for any differences likely to be witnessed. Major ethical considerations that are likely to impact the client’s treatment plan and communication with clients will also be provided Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. Decision Pont 1 Decision Selected Start Zyprexa 10 mg orally at bedtime Reason for Selecting this Decision Zyprexa, also known as olanzapine is an antipsychotic drug which affects brain chemicals. It is approved to treat symptoms of mental health disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in both children and adults who are 13 years or older. Zyprexa is an atypical antipsychotic, which functions by helping to restore the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. In terms of dosing, it is administered once daily (Wei Xin, 2016). Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. Zyprexa is used to treat dysfunctional behaviors, malfunctions, speeches and distorted interpretations of the issues and events surrounding them. Abilify could be a good option but only for a patient who has a good response to oral abilify. It should also be remembered that, Abilify does not bind to D2 receptor for quite a long time. Therefore, it can be less effective for some patients. Another possible side effect of Abilify is akathisia which is an extrapyramidal side effect that may lead to medication non-adherence. On the other hand, Invega Sustenna could also be a good option. However, it increases the risk of memory loss and its side effects of pain, redness, swelling at the site of injection increases the chances of the patient failing to turn up for appointments. Invega Sustenna also leads to muscle spasms, high cholesterol and weight gain, which may generally impair the client’s physical wellbeing based on her current weight. Expected Outcomes By administering Zyprexa, it was expected that the client will have no hallucinations or delusional thoughts and she would be able to think more positively and clearly about herself. It was also expected that she would feel less agitated and actively participate in activities of daily life (Drug, 2015). Difference between Expected Outcomes and Actual Outcomes After four weeks, the client returned to the clinic accompanied by her husband. The client’s PANSS had decreased to a partial response of 25%. The client also reported a weight gain of 5 pounds. When questioned further, the client stated that she could never seem to get satisfied with her meals. Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. As a result, she constantly snacked in an entire day. One of the major side effects of Zyprexa is increased appetite which influences an increase in the frequency of taking meals hence weight gain. Among all atypical antipsychotics, Zyprexa causes the most significant weight gain. Zyprexa has also been associated with increasing the risk of hyperglycemia hence newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus in clients (Takeuchi et al., 2015). Decision Point 2 Decision Selected Reduce Zyprexa to 7.5 mg orally at bedtime Reason for Selecting this Decision Based on the client’s visit, it was evident that she was concerned about the weight gain and increased appetite which was caused by the medication Zyprexa at dosing of 10mg Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. Therefore, reducing the dosage to 7.5mg orally at bedtime is an effort to purposely counter the side effect of weight gain and increased appetite while treating the psychotic symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, dysfunctional thoughts, mood and behaviors (Drug, 2015). Expected Outcomes It was expected that, by reducing the dosage of Zyprexa from 10 mg orally at bedtime to 7.5mg orally at bedtime, the patient would not gain additional weight. Additionally, the currently revised dosage of 7.5mg orally at bedtime is within the patient’s weight. Apart from being advised to stop snacking an entire day, the client will be advised to observe normal meal schedules and actively engage in regular physical exercise to lose the excess weight that she had initially added(Wei Xin, 2016). Difference between Expected Outcomes and Actual Outcomes The client returned to the clinic after four weeks accompanied by her husband. She had worsened. Her PANNS had increased by 10%, an indicator that all her negative symptoms were gradually worsening. However, her weight had stabilized and excess hunger episodes had abated. According to the husband’s explanation, the client was gradually becoming less manageable at home, which forced him to take time off work as he was fearful to leave her alone. This was clear that the therapeutic goals were not being achieved with the current dosing of 7.5 mg of Zyprexa orally at bedtime (Takeuchi et al., 2015). Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. Decision Point 3 BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE Decision Selected Increase the dosage of Zyprexa to 10mg orally at bedtime and Reason for Selecting this Decision From the client’s previous visit, it was notable that the dosage of 7.5 mg failed to help achieve the desired therapeutic levels. Despite the fact that having no complaints of weight gain and a manageable appetite, the client was reportedly unmanageable which also inconvenienced the husband. This also means that 7.5mg was an under dosage for the patient hence was insufficient to achieve the desired therapeutic goals for treatment. However, by returning to a dosage of 10 mg orally at bedtime, the client will receive similar side effects as that of the initial point of weight gain and increased appetite. Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. Besides, she will also be at risk of Diabetes mellitus (Drug, 2015). Therefore, Risperdal could be considered a perfect option. Nonetheless, since Risperdal is dosed twice daily, compliance for this patient could be a problem. Evidence exists to support the efficacy of administering Risperdal once which is a good option in case compliance for this patient becomes an issue. Despite the fact that weight gain is also a side effect of Risperdal, it is not as serious as Zyprexa (Takeuchi et al., 2015). Expected Outcomes With Risperdal as an alternative, it is expected that the client will be more manageable and display less severe psychotic symptoms. She will report little or no delusions, hallucinations and significantly improve in terms of being more manageable (Takeuchi et al., 2015). Besides, the client will be able to execute her activities of daily life with little or no assistance and associated symptoms will have very minimal effect/impact on her overall life. Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. Difference between Expected Outcomes and Actual Outcomes Although the patient reported minor on and off delusional symptoms, there was no significant difference between the expected outcome and the actual outcome. The client demonstrated to be alert and oriented with a stable mood and fluent affect. She also reported no side effects of increased appetite or weight gain, an indicator that therapeutic goals were gradually being achieved (Takeuchi et al., 2015). How Ethical Considerations Might Impact the Treatment Plan and Communication with Clients A major ethical consideration in counseling this client and making the treatment plan is that of informed consent. Patients with schizophrenia tend to have neurological deficits such that, they are not mentally/psychologically fit to make decisions for themselves regarding treatment. The same way, it is difficult to tell whether by consenting to a treatment plan, they fully understand what they are consenting to. As supported by Young, Taylor & Lawrie (2015), while attempting to get an informed and voluntary consent from the patient, caution should be taken to ensure that any decisions made do not harm the patient. This means that a mental health practitioner ought to strive to strike a balance between the principle of autonomy and non-maleficence. Assessing and Treating Clients With Psychosis and Schizophrenia Sample Essay. References The drug, A. A. (2015). 8 Olanzapine (Zyprexa). Top Drugs: Their History, Pharmacology, and Syntheses, 138. Takeuchi, H., Fervaha, G., Lee, J., Agid, O., & Remington, G. (2015). The effectiveness of different dosing regimens of risperidone and olanzapine in schizophrenia. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 25(3), 295-302. Wei Xin Chong, J., Hsien-Jie Tan, E., Chong, C. E., Ng, Y., & Wijesinghe, R. (2016). Atypical antipsychotics: A review on the prevalence, monitoring, and management of their metabolic and cardiovascular side effects. Mental Health Clinician, 6(4), 178-184.

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