Pharmacology 3rd Edition by Michael Adams , Carol Urban

Exercise 1

Remember the patient "Mary Lee" at the beginning of the chapter? Now read the remainder of the case study. Based on the information presented within this chapter, respond to the critical thinking questions that follow.

Mary Lee is a 73-year-old retired high school principal with a PhD in educational administration. She has been married to Robert for almost 50 years, and they have three grown children who live within 25 miles of them. Mary's physical health has been good. She has mild hypertension and had colon cancer successfully removed 20 years ago. She has an annual physical and cancer screenings as recommended for her age. Robert makes an appointment with Mary's health care provider, because he has noticed signs of decreasing mental acuity over the past year. Mary's physical exam is negative, but the health care provider suspects that she is experiencing the early stage of AD. Mary is started on donepezil (Aricept), 5 mg at bedtime.
What information should be included in the initial assessment in order to determine a diagnosis for Mary?