Nursing Blog

Book Description Write individualized care plans with ease and confidence! Product Description Use this convenient resource to formulate nursing diagnoses and create individualized care plans! Updated with the most recent NANDA-I approved nursing diagnoses, Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care, 9th Edition shows you how to build customized care plans using a three-step process: assess, diagnose, and plan care. It includes suggested nursing diagnoses for over 1,300 client symptoms, medical and psychiatric diagnoses, diagnostik procedures, surgicalinterventions, and clinical states. Authors Elizabeth Ackley and Gail Ladwig use Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) information to guide you in creating care plans that include desired outcomes, interventions, patient teaching, and evidence-based rationales. Promotes evidence-based interventions and rationales by including recent or classic research that supports

Glasgow Coma Scale The Glasgow Coma Scale provides a score in the range 3-15; patients with scores of 3-8 are usually said to be in a coma. The total score is the sum of the scores in three categories. For adults the scores are as follows: Eye Opening Response Spontaneous--open with blinking at baseline 4 points Opens to verbal command, speech, or shout 3 points Opens to pain, not applied to face 2 points None 1 point Verbal Response Oriented 5 points Confused conversation, but able to answer questions 4 points Inappropriate responses, words discernible 3 points Incomprehensible speech 2 points None 1 point Motor Response Obeys commands for movement 6 points Purposeful movement to painful stimulus 5 points Withdraws from pain points Abnormal (spastic) flexion, decorticate posture 3 points Extensor (rigid) response, decerebrate posture 2 points None 1 point Source : www.unc.edu

There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves. These nerves arise from the brain and brain stem, carrying motor and or sensory information. Cranial nerve I : Olfactory nerve The olfactory nerve is composed of axons from the olfactory receptors in the nasal sensory epithelium. It carries olfactory information (sense of smell) to the olfactory bulb of the brain. This is a pure sensory nerve fiber. Cranial nerve II: Optic nerve The optic nerve is composed of axons of the ganglion cells in the eye. It carries visual information to the brain. This is a pure sensory nerve fiber. This nerve travels posteromedially from the eye, exiting the orbit at the optic canal in the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone. The optic nerves join each other in the middle cranial fossa to form the optic chiasm. Cranial nerve III: Oculomotor nerve The oculomotor nerve is composed of motor axons coming from the oculomotor nucleus and the edinger-westphal nucleus in the rostral midbrain located at the superior colliculus leve

The normal state of consciousness comprises either the state of wakefulness, awareness, or alertness in which most human beings function while not asleep or one of the recognized stages of normal sleep from which the person can be readily awakened. The abnormal state of consciousness is more difficult to define and characterize, as evidenced by the many terms applied to altered states of consciousness by various observers. Among such terms are: clouding of consciousness, confusional state, delirium, lethargy, obtundation, stupor, dementia, hypersomnia, vegetative state, akinetic mutism, locked-in syndrome, coma, and brain death. Many of these terms mean different things to different people, and may prove inaccurate when transmitting and recording information regarding the state of consciousness of a patient. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to define several of the terms as closely as possible. Clouding of consciousness is a very mild form of altered mental status in which the patient h

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Congestive heart failure, or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart is unable to adequately pump blood throughout the body and/or unable to prevent blood from "backing up" into the lungs. In most cases, heart failure is a process that occurs over time, when an underlying condition damages the heart or makes it work too hard, weakening the organ. Heart failure is characterized by shortness of breath (dyspnea) and abnormal fluid retention, which usually results in swelling (edema) in the feet and legs. Pathophysiology of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Heart failure occurs, the body undergoes some adaptation, both in heart and systemically. If the stroke volume of both ventricles is reduced, because of pressure contractility, or afterload are greatly increased, the volume and pressure at the end of diastolic heart in two space will increase. This will increase the end diastolic myocardial fiber length, causing systolic time becomes shorte

Pathophysiology of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Dengue hemorrhagic fever Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, potentially deadly infection spread by certain species of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). Pathophysiology of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Dengue viruses enter the body through the bite of aedes aegypti mosquito and then react with the antibody and virus-antibody complexes formed, the circulation will activate the complement system. Dengue viruses enter the body through mosquito bites and infection first causes dengue fever. Body reaction is a reaction commonly seen in infection by the virus. A very different reaction would appear, if someone gets recurrent infections with different dengue virus type. And Dengue hemorrhagic fever can occur when a person after infection the first time, get recurrent infections other dengue virus. Re-infection will cause an anamnestic antibody response, causing the concentration of antigen-antibody complex is high.

Pathophysiology of Diabetes MellitusType 1 Insulin is essential to process carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Insulin reduces blood glucose levels by allowing glucose to enter muscle cells and by stimulating the conversion of glucose to glycogen (glycogenesis) as a carbohydrate store. Insulin also inhibits the release of stored glucose from liver glycogen (glycogenolysis) and slows the breakdown of fat to triglycerides, free fatty acids, and ketones. It also stimulates fat storage. Additionally, insulin inhibits the breakdown of protein and fat for glucose production (gluconeogenesis) in both liver and kidneys. Hyperglycemia (ie, random blood glucose concentration more than 200 mg/dL or 11 mmol/L) results when insulin deficiency leads to uninhibited gluconeogenesis and prevents the use and storage of circulating glucose. The kidneys cannot reabsorb the excess glucose load, causing glycosuria, osmotic diuresis, thirst, and dehydration. Increased fat and protein breakdown leads to ketone p

Coronary artery disease (CAD) also known as atherosclerotic heart disease, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, or ischemic heart disease (IHD), is the most common type of heart disease and cause of heart attacks. The disease is caused by plaque building up along the inner walls of the arteries of the heart, which narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to the heart. Angina (chest pain) that occurs regularly with activity, after heavy meals, or at other predictable times is termed stable angina and is associated with high grade narrowings of the heart arteries. The symptoms of angina are often treated with betablocker therapy such as metoprolol or atenolol. Nitrate preparations such as nitroglycerin, which come in short-acting and long-acting forms are also effective in relieving symptoms but are not known to reduce the chances of future heart attacks. Many other more effective treatments, especially of the underlying atheromatous disease, have been devel

Plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome in babies is a growing concern today. Many babies tend to develop flat heads during their initial months of birth. This article tells you about plagiocephaly and methods to prevent it. A new born baby has a soft and delicate head due to which it tends to develop a deformity because of continuous pressure. The deformity usually occurs as a flat spot on the baby's head. Development of such a deformity in new born babies is known as plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome. This syndrome is usually seen when babies spend more time lying down in one position for a long time which results in continuous exertion of pressure on that particular area, ultimately resulting in a flat spot. A flat head can also be a result of pressure exerted on the baby's head during its passage from the birth canal during vaginal delivery. Such deformities tend to rectify within six weeks after birth. Increased incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) lead to "

Weight in pounds: Weight is another important factor where the health of children is concerned. Weight in pediatrics, especially of the newborns is recorded in pounds. So what is the normal range of weight for children? Here is an overview of the normal weight of an individual at each stage from birth to adulthood. Newborn: The normal weight of a new born is between 4.5 to 7 pounds. If its premature, then the weight can be lesser. Infant: An infant normally weighs between 9 and 22 pounds. Toddler: At this age usually children grow very rapidly. So the normal weight for a toddler is between 22 and 31 pounds. Pre-school children: Pre school children again, are at a stage where they grow very fast. So the normal weight for them could fluctuate anywhere around 14 and 18 pounds. School going children: School children are in a stage of flux. They are running around, doing a lot of physical activities and create trouble for their mothers! But on a serious note, school going children weigh som

Heart Rate : Heart rate is always recorded in heart beats per minute. Too high or too low number of heartbeats per minute can be problematic. Check out what are the normal ranges of this vital signs on children and infants. Newborn: For a newborn, the heart rate is between 80 and 180. The average or the mean is 140. Infant: As the baby grow, the heart rate decreases. An infant has a heart rate of 70-170 heartbeats per minute and the mean is around 135. Toddler: Normal heart rate for a toddler is 90-150. There could be a slight variation, according to the constitution, which could mean that the mean heart rate for a toddler is 120. Pre-school children: In pre-school children, the heart beats per minute vary between 65 and 135. The mean heart rate for pre-school children is 110. School Children: Normal heart rate is for school going children is between 60 and 120. The mean fluctuates between 85 to 100 for pre-school children. From 12 years to adulthood: The individuals who a

Respiratory Rate : Respiratory rate is a one of the very important pediatric vital signs. It checks the breaths of an individual per minute. Newborn: Ideally a new born should not be recording more than 30 to 60 breaths per minute. In case it is not, well, then, there could be a problem. Infant: An infant can be supposed to be normal if it is between 30 to 50 breaths per minute. Toddler: A toddler has a respiratory rate of 24 to 40 breaths per minute. Pre-school children: Pre school children have an even lower respiratory rate. The maximum breaths per minute school children have is around 35 and the least is 22 breaths per minute. School Children: A normal respiratory rate for the school children is even lesser. It is between 16 to 30 breaths per minute. From 12 years to adulthood: From 12 years and above, Adults have a respiratory rate of between 12 and 20 breaths per minute. Normal Respiratory Rate for Pediatric

Normal Systolic Blood Pressure for Pediatric This, in a layman's term is the lower limit of blood pressure. It is the blood pressure on the walls of the blood vessels when the heart chambers contract while driving the blood out of the heart. So lets check out age wise what should be the normal range of systolic blood pressure. Newborn: For a new born baby to be diagnosed as normal, the systolic blood pressure should be between 50 and 70 mm Hg. If its not, then, an alarm could probably ring in the doctor's mind. Infant: If an infant is the subject of a check up for systolic blood pressure, then, the normal range of blood pressure should be between 70 mm Hg. Toddler (1-3years): A perfectly normal systolic blood pressure for a toddler would be again in the same range as the infant, but a bit higher. Ideally it should be around 70-76mm Hg. Pre-school age: A child of a preschool age, that is between 3 to 5 years, is around 80 mm Hg. School Children: Children who are in the age group