Nursing Therapeutics Flashcards
Therapy
the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process.
How do we assess nutritional status?
- anthropometry - height and weight
- lab tests (CBC, anemia or low Hgb, Iron, folate, or vit B deficiencies)
- biochemical analysis (serum proteins, albumin, transferrin, transthyretin and retinol binding protein, C reactive protein)
Serum proteins
liver function
Albumin
most abundant serum protein in the blood. Most commonly measured to determine how nourished the individual is. Longer half-life. Good snapshot of nutrition status over a period of time.
Transferrin
protein that transports iron. If someone has a low iron level, the body increases the amount of transferrin. If there is low iron, there will still be a deficiency. So if transferrin is high there is indication that iron levels are low.
Transthyretin and retinol binding protein
respond very quickly to changes in nutrition. really expensive and can be affected by many other factors
C-Reactive protein
indicator of infection and inflammation. A source of metabolic stress that is telling us the body is going to need a higher amount of nutrition to fight this infection
Nitrogen Balance
- estimate protein requirements
- should be zero balance in adults
- nitrogen balance = nitrogen intake - nitrogen loss
- growing infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and those recovering from illness should have positive nitrogen status
- negative is a sign of malnutrition.
Dietary History
- dietary restrictions
- allergies
- natural supplements
- vegetarian/vegan
- comorbidities
- any other diseases that might be affecting their diet
- person and social histoyr
- socioeconomic status
Dietary Assessment
- 24-hour recall (guided interview)
- food frequency (food intake over a year)
- food record (written account of food consumed)
- Direct observation (monitoring what they’re taking in)
Usual/Ideal Body Weight
- provides estimate of what a person should weigh and rapid weight gain would indicate fluid shifts.
Anthropometric Assessment in Adults
- weight loss of more than 2% within one week or 5% over one month suggest beginning malnutrition. Evaluate carefully, as weight gain can come from fluid retention which can mask weight loss associated with malnutrition
Body Mass Index
- a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters
- a valid measurement of weight in realtion to health but does not differentiate between excess fat or muscle or bone
Underweight
BMI < 18.5
Normal or healthy weight
BMI: 18.5-24.9
