Exam 2 Flashcards
Schizophrenia
is a severe and chronic mental disorder characterized by disturbances in thought, perception and behavior.
Psychosis
refers to a range of conditions that affect the mind in which there has been loss of contact with reality, disorganization of personality, and deterioration of social functioning.
The criteria to be diagnosed with Schizophrenia is
Delusions
Hallucinations
Disorganized speech
Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
Negative symptoms ( i.e., diminished emotional expression, lack of motivation and a sociality)
Premorbid phase
Signs occur prior to clear evidence of an illness
shy & withdrawn
poor peer relationships
doing poorly in school
passive
introverted
Prodromal phase
Period between premorbid phase and the onset of psychosis (average length 2-5 years)
Signs of cognitive impairment
deterioration in functioning
Psychotic phase (Acute Schizophrenic Episode)
psychotic symptoms are prominent
Residual phase (follows the active phase)
Symptoms of active phase no longer prominent
flat affect
impairment in functioning
Brain Structure Abnormalities
Ventricular enlargement
Reduction in gray matter
Reduction in hippocampus volume
Reduced symmetry in lobes of the brain
Abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex
White matter abnormalities
Brain volume reduction
Brain Biochemistry
Excess dopamine in Limbic system; decrease of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex
Increases in neuronal activity
Increased production or release of dopamine, or too many dopamine receptors
Abnormalities in other neurotransmitters
excess serotonin, epinephrine, & norepinephrine
1) What medications are examples of MAOI’s
● Phenelzine (Nardil)
● Selegiline (Emsam)
2) Your patient is about to start taking Phenelzine (Nardil), you as a nurse should include in your education plan (SATA)
● Avoidance of foods high in tyramine
● Check with the pharmacist before taking any OTC (examples are cold medications)
3) What is the risk of taking an SSRI and MAOI inhibitor together (SATA)?
● Serotonin syndrome
● Hypertensive crisis
4) Your bipolar patient is making demands and disrupting the unit, how do you respond (SATA)
● Set clear limits
● Distraction techniques
● Use a firm calm approach
5) High level suicide precautions for inpatients include SATA
● 1:1 staff within arm’s length of patient at all times
● Removal of any hard removals at meal times
● Removal of anything that the patient potentially uses to harm themselves
6) When can a patient stop taking their mood stabilizer?
● They should not stop taking their mood stabilizer
7) Inpatient, you are accessing your patient for depression 3 days after starting medication treatment, your client is in a cheerful mood and says “I feel great”, you should change his care plan to include which of the following
● Keep a closer eye on the patient, consider asking for an order for staff view at all times.
8) Your patient is experiencing acute mania, what type of environment should you put the patient in?
● A neutral colored room with minimal furnishing
9) Your patient with acute mania now seems to be responding well to treatment, how are you able to tell.
● Participating in groups, taking turns speaking, appropriately dressed.
10) Pick healthy coping strategies,
● Exercise
● Journaling
● Using learned coping strategies
11) Your patient tells you “They are after me, they want to kill me”, what is your best response?
● That must make you scared, how does that make you feel?
12) Your patient is experiencing auditory hallucinations, what is your next step?
● Ask your patient what the voices are saying.
13) Should you assess for depression and suicidal ideation in a schizophrenic patient
● Yes
- Anhedonia
● Anhedonia is the inability to feel pleasure. It’s a common symptom of depression as well as other mental health disorders. Most people understand what pleasure feels like.
- Anergia
● Abnormal lack of energy is among the negative symptoms common to schizophrenia and depression