Organic Disorders

Question 1

List five causes of delirium

Answer 1

• Infection
• Alcohol withdrawal
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Sleep deprivation
• Brain injury (e.g., subdural hematoma - collection of blood on surface of brain)

Question 2

Describe the nursing care for a client with Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 2

• Provide a safe, consistent environment (Do not make changes, if possible. Change increases anxiety and confusion)
• Stick to routines
• If client wanders, make sure he or she has a name tag
• Provide assistance as needed with ADLs
• Make sure bathroom is clearly labeled

Question 3

Identify three or more causes of dementia

Answer 3

• Alzheimer’s disease –> progressive mental deterioration d/t generalized degeneration of the brain
• Multi-infarcts (brain) –> common cause of memory loss in elderly, caused by multiple strokes
• Huntington’s chorea –> hereditary disease marked by degeneration of the brain cells and causing chorea (neurological disorder characterized by jerky involuntary movements affecting especially the shoulders, hips, and face) and progressive dementia
• Multiple sclerosis –> a chronic, typically progressive disease involving damage to the sheaths or nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, whose sx include numbness, impairment of speech and of muscular coordination, blurred vision, and severe fatigue
• Parkinson’s disease –> a progressive disease of the nervous system marked by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movement; it is associated w/ degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine