Sensory Perception: Visual Impairment Flashcards
What questions should a nurse ask a patient to assess for visual impairment?
- How would you rate your vision (excellent, good, fair, or poor)? Describe any recent changes in your vision
- Do you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses?
- Do you have any difficulty seeing near or far objects or difficulty seeing at night?
- When did you last visit an eye doctor?
What comorbidities put someone at risk for vision impairment?
DM, Heart problems, breathing problems, hypertension, joint problems, and stroke
How would a pt’s visual acuity be assessed?
Use a Snellen chart or other reading material such as a newspaper, and visual fields, using picture charts for those with limited reading or language proficiency.
What resources should be available to a person with a visual deficit?
- eyeglasses of the right prescription, clean and in good repair
- Adequate room lighting, including night-lights
- Sunglasses or shades on windows to reduce glare
- Bright contrasting colors in the environment
- magnifying glass
- Phone dialer with large numbers
- Clock with large numbers or auditory device
- Color code or texture code on stoves, washer, medicine containers, and so on.
- Colored or raised rims on dishes
- Reading material with large print
- Braille or recorded books; podcasts
- seeing-eye dog
What is important to remember when communicating with someone who has a visual deficit?
- Always announce your presence when entering the patient’s room and identify yourself by name
- Stay in the patient’s field of vision if the patient has a partial vision loss
- speak in a warm and pleasant tone of voice. Some people tend to speak louder than necessary when talking to someone who is blind.
- Always explain what you are about to do before touching the individual
- Explain the sounds in the environment
- Indicate when the conversation has ended and when you are leaving the room
How would a nurse educate on having a safe environment for someone with visual impairment?
- keep an uncluttered environment with plenty of lighting
- clear pathways (chairs pushed under tables, things put away); furniture should not be rearranged without orienting the patient
- Organized self-care articles within reach
- call lights and assistive devices within easy reach
What surgeries can be done to help with visual impairments?
- cataract surgery
- glaucoma surgery
- laser eye surgery to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and other disorders
- corneal transplant surgery
- surgery to repair detached retinas
- eye muscle surgery to correct strabismus
What are the risk factors for cataracts?
- Age
- genetics
- environmental factors: sunlight
- Cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption
- Eye trauma
- DM
- Drugs (corticosteroids, lovastatin, phenytoin, chlorpromazine, busulfan)
What medications can cause problems with vision?
- antihistamines
- antihypertensives
- miotic eye drops
- Antiseizure meds (eye pain)
What is the difference between open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma?
open-angle glaucoma: the anterior chamber angle between the iris and cornea is normal
Closed-angle glaucoma: narrowing of the anterior chamber angle occurs because of corneal flattening or bulging of the iris into the anterior chamber.
What are the types of otitis?
- Otitis externa: Inflammation of the ear canal
- Otitis interna (labyrinthitis): Inflammation of the inner ear
- Otitis media: Inflammation of the middle ear
What is otitis externa most likely referred to?
Swimmer’s ear
What is otitis media most commonly referred to?
An ear infection
What most often precedes the development of otitis media?
An upper respiratory infection or allergies
What are the three types of otitis media?
- serous otitis media
- Acute otitis media
- Chronic otitis media