Discussion Wk 1: Alterations In Cellular Processes

Week one discussion, module one- case studyThe disease is hyperkalemia, although the disease is usually identified by laboratory studies, The EKG findings are suggestive of hyperkalemia. Typical EKG findings in hyperkalemia include, “peaked” T waves and lengthened PR interval. If untreated it would progress to and loss of P waves, widening of the QRS ending up in a “sine wave” morphology and death if not treated. The cause of the disease is the effects on myocyte transmembrane potential and cardiac conduction due to cell alteration. Each cardiac myocyte has a surrounding cell membrane called the sarcolemma and contains one nucleus.The extracellular potassium levels indicate cell alteration in the myocyte transmembrane CITATION Die04 \l 7177 (Diercks, Shumaik, Harrigan, Brady, & Chan, 2004). The specific symptoms described are Rhabdomyolysis a recognized complication of cocaine toxicity CITATION Ric00 \l 7177 (Richards, 2000) which result from a mixture of sympathetic and muscular hyperactivity leading to skeletal muscle necrosis and local pressure necrosis. The stimulus presented in the scenario is an opioid antagonist which reverses the cardiovascular complications of cocaine abuse. Extensive epidemiological studies reveal that about half of a person’s risk for addiction to cocaine is genetic.The patient presented with cardiovascular and metabolic