Mobility and Immobility Flashcards
mobility
a person’s ability to move freely
- nonverbal gestures
- self-defense
- ADLs
- recreational
- satisfaction of basic needs
- expression of emotion
factors affecting mobility and activity
- developmental
- nutrition
- lifestyle
- stress
- environment
- diseases and abnormalities
diseases and abnormalities
- bones, muscles and nervous system
- pain
- trauma
- respiratory system
- circulatory
- psychological/social
immobility
a person’s inability to move about freely
- may involve a specific part of the body due to injury
- may involve the lower part of the body: paraplegia
- may involve one side of the body: hemiplegia
- may involve entire body from the neck down: quadriplegia aka tetraplegia
bedrest
restricts patients to bed for therapeutic reasons
- sometimes prescribed for selected patients
- reduces physical activity and O2 demand of the body
- reduces pain
- allow ill or debilitated patients to rest
- allows exhausted patients to rest
- duration depends on illness or injury and prior state of health
physical causes of immobility
- bone fracture
- surgical procedure
- major sprain or strain
- illness/disease
- cancer
- aging process
psychosocial causes of immobility
- stress/depression
- decreased motivation
- hospitalization
- long term care facility residents
- voluntary sedentary lifestyle
prolonged immobility
reduced functional capacity –> altered metabolism –> numerous physiological changes
(move less -> lower metabolism -> many changes)
effects of immobility
- musculoskeletal
- lungs
- heart and vessels
- metabolism
- integument
- gastrointestinal
- genitourinary
- psychological
immobility common effects on body systems - chart
musculoskeletal system:
- brittle bones,
- contractures,
- muscle weakness and atrophy,
- footdrop
nervous system:
- lack of stimulation,
- feelings of anxiety,
- feelings of isolation,
- confusion,
- depression
digestive system:
- decreased appetite and low fluid intake
- constipation and/or bowel obstruction
- incontinence
- electrolyte imbalance
integumentary system:
- decreased blood flow
- pressure ulcers
- infections
- skin breakdown and pressure ulcers
cardiovascular system:
- blood clots
- reduced blood flow
respiratory system:
- pneumonia
- decreased respiratory effort
- decreased oxygenation of blood
urinary system:
- reduced kidney function
- incontinence
- urinary tract infection
- urinary retention
musculoskeletal assessments
- activity intolerance
- anthropometric measurements: BMI, weight, body measurements
- nutrition: protein important to keep muscle mass, also help prevent skin breakdown
(for every week on bedrest, a person loses 10% of their muscle mass)
bone resorption
- osteoclasts: move along surface of bone, dissolving grooves into bone with acid and enzymes. Dissolved material, including calcium, is passed through osteoclasts and into bloodstream for reuse by the body.
- osteoblasts: occurs when bone is injured, added bone strength is required and calcium is elevated in the bloodstream. Deposits calcium into the bone
(osteoclasts - dissolve bone (clast means to break),
when on bedrest, osteoclasts come in and dissolve the bone, calcium is released into the bloodstream,
osteoblasts - try to deposit calcium back into the bone (blast means to grow))
osteoporosis
risk factors:
- sex (females more affected than males, especially after menopause)
- insufficient exercise or too much exercise
- poor diet (low in Ca and protein)
- smoking
(osteoclasts cause a person to have osteoporosis (poro means porous),
exercise, adequate diet, calcium and vitamin D used to help stave off osteoporosis (body can’t store calcium w/o vitamin D, have to have vitamin D to convert calcium to the way that it is stored),
vitamin D - get through sunlight, dairy, green leafy vegetables, eggs, fish, supplements)
change in bone density with age - picture
bone density is strongly linked to estrogen
- bone mass increases until age 30 which is peak bone mass
- bone mass stays the same from 30-50 which is menopause
- from 50 onward, bone mass stays about the same with hormone replacement, but thins without it
- when bone mass stays above fracture threshold, bones resist fractures
- fractures may occur easily if bone mass drops below fracture threshold
range of motion
maximum amount of movement available at a joint
- joints not moved are at risk for contractures (can begin forming within 8 hrs)
- range of motion (ROM) exercises improves joint mobility
- ROM exercise is the easiest intervention to maintain or improve joint mobility
- ROM exercises can be coordinated with other activities
ROM exercises
- active ROM: done by patient
- active assist ROM: done by patient but with help
- passive ROM: done by nurse or other caregiver, continuous passive motion (CPM)
(if pt reports pain or muscle spasms during ROM exercises, we need to discontinue it immediately bc don’t want to cause injury)
ROM
- 3x a day: after bath, mid day, bedtime
- start gradually and move slowly using smooth motions
- support the extremity
- stretch the muscle only to the point of resistance/pain
- encourage active ROM if possible
contractures
shortening of the muscle
(people with contractures of the hand can use a brace(?) that holds the hand open,
foot drop isn’t a contracture but be sure to put boots on people on bedrest to prevent foot drop)
respiratory assessment
- lung sounds
- O2 sats
- respiratory rate
- activity tolerance (SOB)
- chest x-ray
- arterial blood gases
(check lung sounds every time indicated, never a bad time to check, important not to skip)
incentive spirometer
the point is to get good deep breaths,
has a goal marker, piston rises with each deep breath,
(inhaling and getting good chest expansion is what makes it work, not exhaling)
cardiac assessment
- blood pressure
- pulse rate
- heart sounds
- activity tolerance (BP, HR, chest pain)
- calf pain (laying still means pt becomes higher risk for DVT)