HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS:
A 35-year-old male presents to the psychiatric emergency department for psychiatric
evaluation. The client was sent directly from his PCP’s office. That morning, the client
and his wife presented to the PCP’s office without an appointment, with a chief
complaint of “being overwhelmingly depressed.” The client has developed a plan to die
by suicide, which included taking a bottle of Tylenol and drinking “as much vodka as it
takes.” The internist performed a thorough evaluation, drew labs, and called 911 to bring
the client to the Emergency Department.
When the PMHNP encounters the client, the client is visibly upset and clinging to his
wife. The couple explains that they separated a month ago because the client “just
couldn’t be a husband anymore.” Over the past four weeks, he has become isolated and
has complained of decreased energy, concentration, appetite, and sleep. He lost his job as
a house painter four months earlier. The client no longer enjoys taking care of the
couple’s two children, ages 4 and 6—a drastic change from the role he has previously
enjoyed as a father.
The PMHNP asked the client when he first began feeling down. He states, “When my
mother died one and a half years ago.” He says that he has been feeling guilty over the
circumstances of her death and wishing he had been closer to her in the years preceding
her death. The wife notes with concern: “That was just about the time you started
drinking so heavily, as well.” As you question further, you determine that the client has
been drinking daily since his mother’s death. He estimates that he drinks six beers a day.
He admits that drinking is a problem, and he tried to stop drinking two weeks before this
visit. The client says: “My wife kicked me out of the house, I missed my kids, I didn’t
have a job…I knew something was wrong.” He notes that in the days after he stopped
drinking, he experienced some shakiness and felt “like there were bugs under my skin.”
He added that having a beer made these symptoms subside. Last night he became
distraught after calling his wife to check on the children and finding they were not home.
He sat in his hotel room and thought, “I can’t go on living like this.” He called his wife at
6 a.m. the next day and said he thought he might kill himself. She immediately brought
him to the internist’s office.
PAST PSYCHIATRIC HISTORY:
The client has never seen a psychiatric provider or been hospitalized for a psychiatric
diagnosis. He recalls having been depressed only once earlier in his life, during his 20s,
but he did not seek treatment at that time. Although the client is currently suicidal, he
denies any past suicidal thinking and has never made previous suicide attempts.
PAST MEDICAL HISTORY:
Hypertension, Hypercholesteremia.
MEDICATIONS: Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg po daily
FAMILY HISTORY:
The client’s father has a history of alcohol dependence, and his mother had hypertension
and coronary artery disease before dying of myocardial infarction at age 60. The client
denies any Hx of psychiatric illness in his family.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE HX:
The client has been drinking six beers/day for the past year and a half; before that, he was
not drinking daily. He has a remote history of similar drinking in his 20s during his first
divorce, but he was able to quit “cold turkey” and has never been to any detox facility.
He experienced symptoms of withdrawal when he quit, no history of withdrawal seizures.
He denies using marijuana, heroin, cocaine, or other substances. He smokes ½ pk per day
of cigarettes.
SOCIAL HISTORY:
The client describes his childhood as “chaotic.” Reports his father was “unpredictable”
because of his drinking. The client graduated from high school and then went to
vocational school. He became a house painter and worked sporadically. He was married
in his early 20s and has a 17 y/o daughter who is being raised by her mother, his first
wife. He married his current wife 8 yrs. ago; the marriage was functioning well until
recently.
MENTAL STATUS EXAM:
The client is a white male who appears exhausted and mildly disheveled in a sweatshirt,
baseball cap, and jeans. He frequently becomes teary throughout the evaluation and has
poor eye contact, although he is cooperative during the interview. His stature is slumped,
even seated in the chair, and he often leans forward and hides his face in his hands. His
speech is notable for increased latency and paucity of words. His affect is dysphoric,
congruent with the context of the discussion, and does not brighten throughout the
interview. His thought process is linear and logical, and his thought content is
preoccupied with his mother’s death. The client has no overt delusions; he denies ideas of
reference and paranoid ideation. He also denies hallucinations. He is experiencing
suicidal ideation with intent and plan but denied homicidal ideations.
His insight and judgment are fair at this moment in that he knows he needs treatment.
The cognitive exam is grossly intact.
LABS:
Alcohol level= 130; AST = 68 IU/L; ALT = 45 IU/L; GGT= 35U/L; other liver function
tests are WNL.
Hemoglobin =13.4; hematocrit = 41; MCV =95; triglycerides = 200 mg/dl.
DIAGNOSIS:
Alcohol Use Disorder (F 10.20)
Major Depressive Disorder, single episode, severe without psychotic features (F32.2)
Answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail.
a. Select one drug to treat the diagnosis(es) or symptoms.
b. List medication class and mechanism of action for the chosen medication.
c. Write the prescription in prescription format.
d. Provide an evidence-based rationale for the selected medication using at least one scholarly reference. Textbooks may be used for additional references but are not the primary reference.
e. List any side effects or adverse effects associated with the medication.
f. Include any required diagnostic testing. State the time frame for this testing (testing is before medication initiation or q 3 months, etc.). Includes normal results range for any listed laboratory tests.
g. Provide a minimum of three appropriate medication-related teaching points for the client and/or family
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