TOPIC 14 Flashcards
mental status
a person’s emotional and cognitive functioning
strikes a balance between good and bad days, allowing person to function socially and occupationally
mental disorder
an illness that affects a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
organic disorders
Due to brain disease of known specific organic cause (e.g., delirium, dementia, alcohol and drug intoxication and withdrawal)
psychiatric mental illness
organic etiology has not yet been established (e.g., anxiety disorder or schizophrenia)
when do you perform a full mental status examination
when any abnormality in affect or behavior is discovered and in certain situations
mental status: aging adult
o Older adulthood contains more potential for losses
o Grief and despair surrounding theses losses can affect mental status and can result in disability, disorientation, or depression
o Chronic diseases such as heart failure, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis include fear of loss of life
the four main headings of mental status assessment:
A-B-C-T
-Appearance
-Behavior
-Cognition
-Thought processes
aphasia
impairment of language ability secondary to brain damage
brain lesions
trauma, tumor, cerebrovascular accident or stroke
when is a full mental status examination necessary
-Patients whose initial screening suggests an anxiety disorder or depression
-Behavioral changes, such as memory loss, inappropriate social interaction
-Brain lesions
-Aphasia
-Symptoms of psychiatric mental illness, especially with acute onset
what things does the nurse ask about when determining the orientation of a client?
-time(day of the week, date, year, season)
-place(where person lives, address, phone number, present location, type of building, name of city and state)
-person(own name, age, who examiner is, type of worker)
attention span
ability to concentrate-noting completes a thought without wandering
assessing recent memory
Assess in context of interview by 24-hour diet recall or by asking time person arrived at agency
confabulates
makes up plausible explanation for his actions without intention to deceive, to fill in gaps of memory loss
assessing remote memory
In the context of the interview, ask verifiable past events;
describe past health, the first job, birthday and anniversary dates, and historical events that are relevant for that person
Remote memory is lost when
cortical storage area for that memory is damaged, such as in Alzheimer disease, dementia, or any disease that damages cerebral cortex
the four unrelated words test
Pick four words with semantic and phonetic diversity; ask person to remember the four words
have him or her repeat the words
Ask for the recall of four words at 5, 10, and 30 minutes
what is a normal response of the four unrelated words test for a person younger than 60
an accurate 3- or 4-word recall after 5, 10, and 30 minutes
assessing word comprehension
ask person to name object in room
assessing reading
ask person to read available print; be aware that reading is related to educational level
assessing writing
ask person to make up and write a sentence; note coherence, spelling, and parts of speech
thought processes
Way person thinks should be logical, goal directed, coherent, and relevant; should complete thoughts
thought content
what person says should be consistent and logical
perceptions
an awareness of objects through the five senses
When the person expresses feelings of sadness, hopelessness, despair, or grief, it is important to assess.
any possible risk of physical harm to himself or herself
when screening for suicidal thoughts, begin with..
more general questions; if you hear affirmative answers, continue with more specific probing questions
Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE)
o Concentrates only on cognitive functioning, not on mood or thought processes
o 11 questions, 5 to 10 minutes to administer
the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) can detect
dementia and delirium and differentiate from psychiatric mental illness
normal for the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) is…
average 27;
scores between what numbers on the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) indicare no cognitive impairment
scores between 24 and 30 indicate no cognitive impairment
what should be assessed before any aspect of mental status?
sensory status (vision and hearing changes)
Glasgow Coma Scale is useful in..
testing consciousness in aging persons in whom confusion is common
Mini-Cog
a reliable, quick, and easily available instrument to screen for cognitive impairment in healthy adults
-o Tests person’s executive function, including ability to plan, manage time, and organize activities, and working memory
what does a Mini-Cog consist of
o Consists of three-item recall test and clock-drawing test
what id normal for the mini-cog test
no cognitive impairment or dementia can recall the three words and draw a complete, round, closed clock circle with all face numbers in correct position and sequence and hour and minute hands indicating time you requested
alert
Awake or readily aroused; oriented, fully aware of external and internal stimuli and responds appropriately; conducts meaningful interpersonal interactions.
Lethargic or Somnolent
Not fully alert; drifts off to sleep when not stimulated; can be aroused to name when called in normal voice but looks drowsy; responds appropriately to questions or commands but thinking seems slow and fuzzy; inattentive; loses train of thought; spontaneous movements are decreased.
obtunded
(Transitional state between lethargy and stupor; some sources omit this level.) Sleeps most of time; difficult to arouse—needs loud shout or vigorous shake; acts confused when is aroused; converses in monosyllables; speech may be mumbled and incoherent; requires constant stimulation for even marginal cooperation.
Stupor or Semi-coma
Spontaneously unconscious; responds only to persistent and vigorous shake or pain; has appropriate motor response (i.e., withdraws hand to avoid pain); otherwise can only groan, mumble, or move restlessly; reflex activity persists.