4 Mrs. Dilworth Post-Surgery

Mrs. Dilworth is given aztreonam and clindamycin within 30 minutes of her admission to the ER.

Just two hours after admission, she is recovering from successful surgery to remove an abscessed appendix.

Mrs. Dilworth tells you that she has bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder). She says that she was a bit manic during the week prior to admission. The mild mania may have made it easier to ignore some mild symptoms of appendicitis. She had stopped taking risperidone (the medication prescribed to treat her bipolar disorder) because of the high cost. Her health insurance only covers a small part of the cost of risperidone.

Mrs. Dilworth’s nurses are concerned about her current mental state. Mrs. Dilworth seems quite manic to them, and they’re worried that she may decide that she doesn’t need her IV’s or may decide to leave the hospital before she has adequately recovered.