Chapter 8C - Diagnostic Signs Flashcards
Chronic
Of long duration, such as a chronic disease like hypertension
Acute
Having rapid onset of severe symptoms
Agitation
Being upset, or hyper, very concerned
Aggravation
Being angry and probably agitated
Alleviate
To relieve or make go away, as in splinting helps alleviate the pain
Amnesia
Loss of memory
Anisocoria
Unequal pupils
Artifact
Artificial action – something extra that should not be there
Asymmetrical
Not symmetrical
Crepitus
The grating or grinding of broken bone ends
diaphoresis
Excessive sweating
Distention
To stretch out
Nasal flaring
A sign of respiratory compromise
Nystagmus
The horizontal or vertical jerking of the eyeball when they look away from the center – often observed with drug abuse
Photophobia
hypersensitivity to bright light – wishing to avoid it – commonly seen with hangovers and meningitis
Ventilation
Moving air – to move air into and out of the lungs
Respiration
To utilize the oxygen we breathe through gas exchanges both in the lungs, and at the cellular level
What are the 12 diagnostic signs?
- pulse
- respirations
- Blood-pressure
- Skin color
- Skin moisture
- Skin temperature
- Pupils
- Level of consciousness
- Reaction to pain
- Ability to move
- Breath sounds
- Respiratory patterns
Pulse - fast & weak (causes)
Shock, heat exhaustion, diabetic coma
Pulse – fast and strong (causes)
Freight, stress, fever, hypertension, heat stroke, stimulant drugs (amphetamines, cocaine)
Pulse – slow and weak (causes)
Downer drug overdose (sedative – hypnotics, tranquilizers, opiates), impending doom
Pulse - slow and strong (causes)
Stroke, head injury
Respirations – rapid and shallow (causes)
Airway obstruction (partial), heart failure, chest or abdominal injury or pain
Respiration – rapid and deep (causes)
Diabetic coma, head injury, stress
Respirations – slow and shallow (causes)
Downer drug overdose (sedative – hypnotics, tranquilizers, opiates), impending doom
respirations – labored (causes)
Airway obstruction
Blood pressure – high (causes)
Fright, stress, heading injury, central nervous system problems, poisoning (black widow, scorpion), some medical problems
Blood pressure – low (causes)
Shock, internal bleeding, (could be normal for this patient)
Blood pressure – rising (causes)
Could indicate rising intracranial pressure
Monitor it – elevate head
Blood pressure – falling (causes)
Cardiogenic shock, septic shock, G.I. bleeding, ectopic pregnancy, bleeding related to pregnancy, ruptured aorta
Monitor it – elevate legs, give oxygen
Erythema (causes)
Fever, diabetic coma, (possibly) heat stroke, hypertension
Palor/pale (causes)
Stress, shock, hypoglycemia, heat exhaustion, heart attack sometimes
Cyanosis (causes)
Airway obstruction, respiratory insufficiency, pump failure, shock, dramatic asphyxia
indicates poor tissue oxygenation
Ashen (causes)
Gray
heart attack, or extremely poor tissue perfusion
Blotchy, mottled (causes)
Shock, poor perfusion
List 4 places other than the skin generally where you can check skin color if the patient is not why (Caucasian) or does not have pale skin
- Thenar prominence (base of thumb)
- Nailbeds (Cannot be relied upon too affected by environment)
- Inside lower eyelids
- Lips
Skin moisture – dry (causes)
Normal
Skin moisture – damp (causes)
Shock, fright, stress (if warm, may be hot and sweaty) (if cool, may be in shock)
Skin moisture – very sweaty (causes)
Heart attack, insulin shock, shock
Skin temperature
Hot, cold, or normal
if the patient is sick and with a low-grade fever or slight temperature, you would describe it to the nurse as hot, because to a nurse, warm is normal
Pupils – perl
Pupils are equal and reactive to light
Pupils – normal size
Pupils are normally from 1.5 mm - 6 mm
Pupils – constricted (or pinpointed) (causes)
Bright light, opiates/heroin overdose, or some poisonings (organophosphates)
Pupils – midpoint (causes)
Dead
Pupils – dilated (causes)
Stress, Fright, coma, shock, amphetamine or stimulant overdose, head injury, dead (early stage)
Pupils - reaction to light
Should be very fast
Pupils – rapid reaction to light (causes)
Saying this means that they react to light a very rapidly = normal
Pupils - sluggish (causes)
Means that they do react, but not as fast as normal = sedative drugs, cerebral hypoxia, head injuries, cerebral edema
Pupils – fixed (causes)
Means that they do not react = dead, blind, glass eye, sedative drugs
When checking pupils what are the 3 things you check for?
Size, symmetry, reaction to light
Pupils – symmetry
They should be equal. But, 10% of all people have slightly unequal pupils normally (but usually only 1mm different)
Pupils – equal
Normal
Pupils – unequal (causes)
Head injury, stroke, glass eye
Presume that we mean “significantly unequal”. And remember that people with cataracts often have unequal pupils all the time
Oval pupil significance?
An oval pupil may be an early sign of increasing intracranial pressure
Pie shaped wedge cut out pupil?
A pupil with the pie shaped wedge cut out of it indicates that the person has had cataract surgery
Pupil - consensually
Pupils should we consensually – meaning if you shin light in one, both should constrict together
