Prompt
Consider the following scenario: Bill, age 70, came to the examination accompanied by his wife. Bill was tall and cheerful, greeted the doctor warmly, and then started walking around the room a bit until he realized he was supposed to sit down.
As the physician asked Bill questions for the history, he answered some, and smiled at all of the questions. Bill’s wife, Cecilia, filled in the answers that Bill was not sure of. Both Bill and Cecilia seemed to be used to her supportive role in helping Bill remember things.
Bill had retired as an accountant two years earlier. In the period since retirement, Bill had reached the point that he could not balance his checkbook. Cecilia handled that task, as well as handling money and change while shopping. This change in Bill’s use of numbers was so sudden, she said, that she wondered if something could be done to help Bill.
Bill smiled at both Cecilia and the doctor, and shrugged his shoulders.
After doing a thorough physical exam, a psychometric evaluation, and a cranial MRI, the final diagnosis was Alzheimer’s disease.
The doctor ordered some medications specifically for this disease. An anticholinergic was prescribed to cure the disease. The physician also ordered vitamins B1, B6, B12, and E. Nutritional support, physical exercises, cognitive activities, safety precautions, and other suggestions were recommended.
In a short paper, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Identify the incorrect medication/drug classification/treatment and explain why it is incorrect.
What drug classification would you use instead? Why?
Provide an example of a generic medication from each drug classification. How would each of the medications/treatments in the scenario act on the patient’s body?
Support your answer with relevant resources.