Test Six Flashcards
Warning Signs of Stroke
Sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking; sudden trouble seeing; sudden severe headache; sudden trouble walking or loss of balance.
Care of the Person with a Stroke
Monitor health, assist with daily activities, administer medications, provide physical therapy.
Care of the Person with Paralysis
Assist with mobility, prevent pressure sores, help with hygiene, offer emotional support.
Care of the Person with a Hip Fracture
Seek medical help, manage pain, physical therapy, prevent falls.
Care of the Person with a Limb Amputation
Wound care, pain management, rehabilitation, emotional support.
Define Amputation
Surgical removal of a limb or part of it due to injury or medical reasons.
Define Paraplegia
Paralysis affecting both legs and often parts of the trunk.
Define Hemiplegia
Paralysis affecting one side of the body.
Define Stroke
Loss of brain function due to interruption of blood supply.
Define CVA
Cerebrovascular Accident, or stroke, caused by disrupted blood flow to the brain.
Define Stroke
Sudden loss of brain function due to disrupted blood flow, leading to symptoms like numbness, confusion, and difficulty speaking or seeing.
Safety Issues of a Person with a Stroke
Falls, swallowing difficulties, and communication challenges are key concerns.
Correct Way to Transfer a Person with Weakness/Paralysis
Use a transfer belt, ensure stable footing, and coordinate movements carefully to prevent injury.
Define Parkinson’s Disease
Progressive neurological disorder causing tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, and balance issues.
Characteristics of Parkinson’s Disease
Tremors, rigidity, slowness, balance problems, freezing episodes, and changes in speech.
Safety Interventions a Nurse Aide Can Perform for Parkinson’s Disease
Assist with mobility, ensure a safe environment, help with exercises, remind about medications, and offer emotional support.
Signs and Symptoms of a Hip Fracture
Severe hip or groin pain, inability to bear weight on the leg, swelling, bruising, and leg appearing shorter or turned outward.
Signs and Symptoms of Myocardial Infarction
Chest pain, discomfort in arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness, and cold sweats.
Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia
Cough with phlegm, chest pain, fever, chills, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.
Define Hypertension
High blood pressure, a condition where the force of the blood against the artery walls is consistently too high.
Define Emphysema
Lung condition where air sacs (alveoli) are damaged, causing difficulty breathing.
Define Influenza
Contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses, leading to fever, body aches, and respiratory symptoms.
Define COPD
Progressive lung disease causing airflow limitation and difficulty breathing, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Risk Factors of COPD
Smoking, air pollutants, genetic predisposition, and respiratory infections.
Interventions a Nurse Aide Can Do for COPD
Assist with breathing exercises, promote medication adherence, provide oxygen therapy if needed, maintain a clean environment, and encourage hydration.
Persons at Risk for Hepatitis
Those at risk include individuals practicing unsafe sex, intravenous drug users, healthcare workers exposed to blood, and travelers to high-risk areas.
Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia
Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar causing symptoms like shakiness; hyperglycemia is high blood sugar leading to increased thirst and frequent urination.
Define GERD
Chronic digestive disorder causing stomach acid or bile irritation of the food pipe, resulting in heartburn and regurgitation.
Interventions a Nurse Aide Can Do for GERD
Help with post-meal positioning (elevate head of bed), encourage small meals, remind about medication, and support dietary adjustments.
Define Hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver, often caused by viral infections (hepatitis A, B, C, etc.), leading to liver damage and dysfunction.
Different Types of Hepatitis
There are several types: Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Each type is caused by different viruses and can vary in severity and transmission routes.
Define Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition where the body either does not produce enough insulin (Type 1) or cannot use insulin effectively (Type 2), resulting in high blood sugar levels.
Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
- Type 1: Usually diagnosed in children and young adults; the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, requiring insulin therapy.
- Type 2: Often develops in adults; the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce enough, managed with lifestyle changes, oral medications, and sometimes insulin.
Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia
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Hypoglycemia: Shakiness, dizziness, sweating, hunger, confusion, and rapid heartbeat.
- Hyperglycemia: Increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow healing wounds.
Complications of Diabetes
Include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), eye damage (retinopathy), and foot problems.
Changes to the Nervous System from Aging
Include slower processing speed, decreased memory, reduced coordination, and changes in sleep patterns.
Caring for the Person with Confusion
Provide a calm environment, maintain routines, ensure safety, use clear and simple communication, and monitor for changes in condition.
Causes of Permanent Dementia
Include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia (due to stroke or reduced blood flow to the brain), Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.
Signs and Symptoms of Delirium
Sudden confusion, disorientation, hallucinations, agitation, and changes in behavior, often caused by underlying medical conditions or medications.
Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
Memory loss that disrupts daily life, challenges in planning or problem-solving, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, and changes in mood or personality.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Normal Age-Related Changes
- Alzheimer’s: Involves progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, and behavioral changes that disrupt daily life.
- Normal aging: Slower processing speed and occasional memory lapses, but does not significantly interfere with daily functioning.
Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Typically divided into early (mild), middle (moderate), and late (severe) stages, characterized by worsening cognitive and functional decline.
Communication Problems
Include difficulty finding words, repeating questions, or trouble following conversations, common in Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Communicating with Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia
- Use simple language and short sentences.
- Maintain eye contact and speak calmly.
- Allow time for responses and avoid arguing.
Care of Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
Provide a safe environment, assist with daily activities, encourage social engagement, manage medications, and offer emotional support.
Define Delirium
Sudden onset of confusion and changes in cognition, often caused by medical illness, infection, or medication side effects.
Define Delusion
False beliefs that are firmly held despite evidence to the contrary, common in dementia and other psychiatric disorders.
Define Paranoia
Irrational suspicion or mistrust of others, often leading to feelings of persecution or threat.
Define Sundowning
Behavioral changes such as agitation, confusion, and restlessness that occur in the late afternoon or evening, common in people with dementia.
Define Elopement
Term used in healthcare to describe a person with dementia wandering away or leaving a safe environment unsupervised.
Define Hallucination
Perception of something that is not present, such as seeing, hearing, or feeling things that others do not.
Define Pseudodementia
Condition where cognitive impairment mimics dementia but is actually due to depression or other treatable causes.
Define Disorientation
Confusion about person, place, or time, common in conditions affecting cognition like dementia.
Define Cognitive Function
Mental processes involved in perception, memory, reasoning, and decision-making.
Stages and Signs/Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
- Early stage: Memory lapses, difficulty finding words, mild confusion.
- Middle stage: Increased memory loss, personality changes, wandering.
- Late stage: Severe cognitive decline, inability to communicate, dependence on others for care.
Interventions for Person with Agitation
Provide a calm environment, use gentle redirection, ensure physical comfort, and consider medications as prescribed by a healthcare provider.
Safety Concerns with a Person Wandering
Risks include getting lost, exposure to weather extremes, falls, and injuries. Measures include supervision, secure environment, and identification methods.
Anaphylactic Shock
Severe allergic reaction involving multiple body systems, causing rapid onset of symptoms like difficulty breathing, swelling, and drop in blood pressure. It occurs when the immune system overreacts to an allergen.
Interventions/Safety for a Person Having a Seizure
- Protect the person from injury by clearing the area of sharp objects.
- Cushion the head and turn them onto their side to prevent choking.
- Do not restrain the person or put anything in their mouth.
Interventions/Safety When a Person is Feeling Faint
- Help the person lie down or sit with their head between their knees.
- Loosen tight clothing and ensure adequate ventilation.
- Offer water and monitor their condition until they feel better.
What is End-of-Life?
The final stages of a person’s life, typically when death is imminent or when curative treatment is no longer effective or desired.
What are the Stages of Grief?
Often described as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, though individuals may experience these stages in varying orders and intensities.
What is the Last Sense a Person Loses When Dying?
Hearing is often considered the last sense to remain active when other bodily functions decline.
Define Terminal Illness
An illness that cannot be cured and is expected to lead to death within a relatively short period, often defined as six months or less.
Define Apnea
Temporary cessation of breathing, often referring to sleep apnea where breathing pauses repeatedly during sleep.
Define Rigor Mortis
Stiffening of muscles after death due to chemical changes in the body, usually occurring within a few hours and lasting up to 48 hours.
Define Cyanosis
Bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen in the blood.
Define Advance Directive
Legal document that allows a person to specify their healthcare wishes in advance, including preferences for medical treatment and end-of-life care decisions.
