| Course | HS140 Pharmacology |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 4 |
| Paper type | Cardiovascular drug case |
| Length | About 840 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HS140 Unit 4
A New Diagnosis of Stable Angina: A Unit 4 Cardiovascular Drug Case Defending a Beta Blocker, Aspirin, a Statin and a Rescue Nitrate
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HS140: Pharmacology
Unit 4 Cardiovascular Drug Case
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The patient is composite; drug choices follow the guideline and textbook cited, and no doses are given.
The Case
The patient, a composite man aged 58, reports chest pressure when he climbs stairs or walks quickly in cold weather, relieved within minutes by rest. A stress test confirms reduced blood flow to part of the heart with exercise. His resting heart rate is 84, blood pressure 142/88, and his LDL cholesterol is elevated. He has no heart failure, no asthma and normal kidney function. He smokes. The diagnosis is chronic coronary disease presenting as stable angina.
The Goals
Treatment has two goals: relieve the chest pain so he can be active, and lower his risk of heart attack and death. Different drug classes serve each goal (Virani et al., 2023).
Choice One: A Beta Blocker for Symptoms
Mechanism. Beta blockers block the effects of adrenaline on the heart, slowing the rate and reducing the force of contraction. A slower, less forceful heart needs less oxygen, so the point at which exercise causes pain moves further away.
Why it fits. His resting heart rate is high, and his pain comes with exertion, when heart rate rises. A beta blocker addresses both. It also lowers blood pressure, which is above target.
What to watch. Fatigue, slow pulse, dizziness and, in patients with asthma, narrowing of the airways; he has no asthma.
Choice Two: Aspirin to Prevent Clots
Mechanism. Low-dose aspirin blocks the enzyme platelets use to make a substance that helps them stick together, so clots form less easily in narrowed arteries. It does not relieve angina; it lowers the risk of heart attack.
What to watch. Stomach upset and bleeding.
Choice Three: A High-Intensity Statin
Mechanism. Statins block an enzyme the liver needs to make cholesterol, so the liver pulls more LDL from the blood. They also stabilize plaque. Guidelines recommend statins for people with coronary disease to reduce future events (Virani et al., 2023).
What to watch. Muscle aches and, rarely, liver enzyme changes.
Choice Four: Sublingual Nitroglycerin for Attacks
Mechanism. Nitroglycerin releases nitric oxide, which relaxes veins and arteries, lowering the work of the heart within minutes. Taken under the tongue, it avoids breakdown by the liver (Lilley et al., 2023).
What to watch. Headache and dizziness; it must not be combined with drugs for erectile dysfunction, which can cause a dangerous fall in blood pressure.
The beta blocker treats the pain, the aspirin and statin treat the risk, and the nitroglycerin treats the moment; each drug answers a different question about the same disease.
Classes Set Aside
A dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker would also relieve angina by widening arteries, and it would suit a patient who could not take a beta blocker. Here it was set aside because his fast resting heart rate makes slowing the heart more useful, and dihydropyridines can speed the heart slightly through reflex tachycardia (Elliott & Ram, 2011).
A long-acting nitrate would relieve angina too, but tolerance develops with continuous use, requiring a nitrate-free period each day. It is usually added if symptoms persist on a beta blocker rather than started first.
How the Choices Work Together
The four drugs are chosen to complement one another without overlapping harms. The beta blocker and nitroglycerin both lower the heart's oxygen demand but by different routes, one by slowing the heart and the other by relaxing vessels, so the rescue nitrate still works on a day when the beta blocker is not enough. Aspirin and the statin work over months and years, not minutes, and the patient should understand that he will not feel them working. This difference matters for adherence: patients often stop drugs that produce no noticeable benefit, so the case would include an explanation of why the two silent drugs matter most for his long-term risk.
What He Should Be Taught
He should carry nitroglycerin with him, sit down before using it because of dizziness, and call emergency services if pain is not relieved within five minutes of the first dose, as current teaching advises (Lilley et al., 2023). He should not stop the beta blocker suddenly, since rebound can worsen angina. He should report a resting pulse that is much slower than usual, unusual bruising or bleeding, and muscle pain that does not go away.
Beyond Drugs
Smoking cessation would reduce his risk more than any one medicine, and the case would refer him for support. Cardiac rehabilitation and regular, gradually increased activity also help, and both can be started alongside the medicines.
Limits
The case assumes normal kidney and liver function and no drug allergies. It does not address the order in which drugs would be started or how quickly, decisions that depend on how he responds and on his clinician's judgment. A real plan would be set by his clinician.
References
Elliott, W. J., & Ram, C. V. S. (2011). Calcium channel blockers. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 13(9), 687-689. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7176.2011.00513.x
Lilley, L. L., Collins, S. R., & Snyder, J. S. (2023). Pharmacology and the nursing process (10th ed.). Elsevier.
Virani, S. S., Newby, L. K., Arnold, S. V., Bittner, V., Brewer, L. C., Demeter, S. H., Dixon, D. L., Fearon, W. F., Hess, B., Johnson, H. M., Kazi, D. S., Kolte, D., Kumbhani, D. J., LoFaso, J., Mahtta, D., Mark, D. B., Minissian, M., Navar, A. M., Patel, A. R., ... Williams, M. S. (2023). 2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline for the management of patients with chronic coronary disease: A report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation, 148(9), e9-e119. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001168
Reading the HS 140 Unit 4 instructions
The fourth unit commonly asks students to work through a cardiovascular case, choosing drug classes and explaining each choice by mechanism, expected benefit and what to watch for. Cases of two to four pages are typical. Instructors usually expect students to separate the goals of treatment, such as symptom relief and risk reduction, and to show which drug serves which goal. Explaining why other reasonable classes were not chosen is often weighted heavily, since cardiovascular cases rarely have one correct answer. Many prompts ask for patient teaching points. Specific doses are generally not expected in allied health courses. Following current guidelines, cited with their year, is commonly required.
How the HS 140 Unit 4 example is put together
The case presents the patient's symptoms, stress test, heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking. Two goals are stated. Four choices follow, each with mechanism, fit with this patient and what to watch: a beta blocker, aspirin, a high-intensity statin and sublingual nitroglycerin. The highlighted sentence sorts the drugs by the question each answers. Two classes set aside are explained. A section shows how the drugs complement each other and why silent drugs need explanation for adherence. Teaching points cover carrying nitroglycerin, not stopping the beta blocker suddenly and symptoms to report. Smoking cessation, rehabilitation and limits close the case. Assumptions about kidney and liver function are stated so a reader can see what the choices depend on.
Reading the HS140 Unit 4 grading rubric
Drug case analyses are generally assessed on accuracy of mechanisms, fit between drugs and the patient's features, quality of reasoning about alternatives, safety monitoring and alignment with current guidelines. Reasoning about alternatives often weighs most, because it shows judgment rather than recall. Fit earns credit when choices are tied to specific findings, such as a high resting heart rate. Monitoring points reward naming what to watch for each drug. Guideline alignment is checked by date and content. Patient teaching, nondrug measures and a clear statement of assumptions add to the score. Recommending doses, where the prompt does not ask for them, can cost points.
Common HS140 Unit 4 mistakes, and how to avoid them
A frequent weakness is a list of standard drugs for angina with no link to the patient's details. Another is defending the chosen drugs without explaining why alternatives were set aside. Some students confuse drugs that relieve symptoms with drugs that lower long-term risk. Others forget dangerous combinations, such as nitrates with erectile dysfunction drugs. Citing an outdated guideline weakens the case. If your case describes a different cardiovascular condition, perhaps heart failure or high blood pressure with diabetes, send the case details, and an analysis can be prepared that defends each choice from mechanism. Treating every patient with angina identically, without using the case details, is another common gap.
Get an HS140 Unit 4 example written to your instructions
Post us the Unit 4 case exactly as it appears in your section, plus instructions and rubric. A custom cardiovascular drug case follows in 24-48h, each selection defended from mechanism and every alternative addressed. The first case costs you nothing. A named guideline edition, where your prompt specifies one, shapes the rationale too. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More HS140 papers and BS in Health Science samples
- HS140 Unit 1: Drug Route Discussion Post
- HS140 Unit 2: Calcium Channel Blocker Class Profile
- HS140 Unit 3: Dosage Calculation Practice Set
- HS140 Unit 5: Interaction Analysis
- HS140 Unit 6: Seminar Reflection
- HS140 Unit 7: Patient Teaching Handout
- HS140 Unit 8: Adverse Effect Monitoring Plan
- HS140 Unit 9: Special Population Brief
- HS140 Unit 10: Medication Case Analysis
- HS111 Unit 4: Medical Term Construction Exercise
- HS499 Unit 4: Literature Synthesis
- HS460 Unit 4: Work Breakdown Structure
HS140 Unit 4 questions, answered
Does the case need to follow current guidelines?
Yes, as far as the prompt permits, since cardiovascular recommendations are revised regularly and an outdated source can undermine an otherwise sound argument. Cite the guideline or the current edition of your drug reference. You do not need to reproduce the guideline's detail; a sentence noting that the choice is consistent with it, plus the mechanism-based reasoning, usually meets the rubric.
What if the case gives no information about kidney function or other history?
State what you are assuming and why it matters. A sentence saying the plan assumes normal kidney function, and would change if that were not so, shows awareness without inventing data. Avoid adding laboratory values the prompt withheld. Graders generally reward acknowledged assumptions and penalize invented facts that conveniently support the chosen drug.
Should I recommend a specific dose?
No. Allied health cases explain why a class and agent fit, what they do and what must be watched. Dosing belongs to the prescriber and depends on details no course scenario fully supplies. Where the prompt mentions a dose, you can note that setting and reviewing it falls to the prescriber, then keep the analysis on mechanism, selection and monitoring.
Where can I find a free HS140 Unit 4 sample paper?
This page presents the complete Unit 4 cardiovascular drug case for stable angina, defending four medicines and two classes set aside.
Why choose a beta blocker over a calcium channel blocker here?
His resting heart rate is high and his pain comes with exertion, so slowing the heart helps most. A dihydropyridine may speed the heart slightly instead.