ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Etiology of Guillain-Barre Syndrome - ✔✔normally preceded by an infection such as
an intestinal diarrhea or upper respiratory tract infection - see Campylobacter Jejuni;
also associated with systemic conditions such as HIV, sarcoidosis, lymphoma, and SLE
✔✔Edrophonium Test (Tensilon Test) - ✔✔Injection of the chemical edrophonium
chloride (Tensilon) may result in a sudden, although temporary, improvement in your
muscle strength. This is an indication that you may have myasthenia gravis.
Edrophonium chloride blocks acetylcholinesterase an enzyme that breaks down
acetylcholine, the chemical that transmits signals from your nerve endings to your
muscle receptor sites.
✔✔Characteristics of Myasthenia Gravis - ✔✔-Muscular weakness and fatigue
-Respiratory muscle paralysis, ptosis, difficulty chewing and swallowing
✔✔Diagnostics for Closed Head Injuries - ✔✔MRI AND CT
✔✔Brain death criteria - ✔✔Completion of all appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic
procedures
Unresponsive coma (absence of motor and reflex responses)
No spontaneous respirations (apnea)
Pupils dilated, fixed; no reflexes
Flat EEG
No ocular responses
Isoelectric EEG
Persistence 6 to 12 hours after onset
✔✔Cervical Spine injury - ✔✔Hyperextension of the neck
Hyperflexion of the neck
Possibly with fracture
Usually damage to disc and ligaments occurs
affects motor and sensory fuction in arm,legs, and trunk, respiratory functions, SNS
functions, Sacral parasympathetic fibers
Inflammation may extend upward to the level of C3-C5
✔✔Meningitis - ✔✔inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord
✔✔Meningitis symptoms - ✔✔classic triad of headache, neck stiffness and fever
-photophobia, vomiting, altered mental status
✔✔Meningitis treatment - ✔✔Immediate antibiotics to stop multiplying bacteria
IV for 2 weeks and orally after
,Digoxin to control arrthymias
Mannitol to decrease cerebral edema
Anticonvulsant to treat seizures
Relieve headache and fever
vaccination for high risk groups
✔✔Symptoms of Subdural Hematoma - ✔✔head trauma, loss consciousness,
grogginess, irritability, amnesia, seizures, numbness, headache, dizziness,
weakness/lethargy, nausea/vomiting, personality changes, slurred speech, ataxia,
altered breathing, blurred vision, deviated gaze
✔✔Beer's List of Medications - ✔✔-NSAIDS (except ASA)
-SS Insulin
-long acting sulfonylureas
-BZDs, barbiturates, sleep aids
-anticholinergics
-antihistamines
-antispasmotics
-antipsychotics
-digoxin and amiodarone (use low dose)
-antiparkinon agents
-meperidine (d/t toxic metabolites)
-PPIs (>8wks)
-alpha blockers
-systemic estrogen/androgens
✔✔Folstein Mini-Mental Status Exam - ✔✔-useful tool for gross screening dementia
-tests orientation, registration, attention/calculation, recall, language
-*score of 30 suggests no impairment*
-*score of less than 26 suggests potential dementia*
✔✔Fever of unknown origin (FUO) - ✔✔refers to a fever with an undetermined cause
✔✔Causes of Infection in Geriatric Patients - ✔✔
✔✔Role of interleukins in fever - ✔✔
✔✔Tick-Born Illness Types and Diagnosis - ✔✔
✔✔Parasitic Infections Types and Diagnosis - ✔✔
✔✔Viral Illness Diagnosis - ✔✔
✔✔Sources of Occult Infections - ✔✔
, ✔✔complications of diabetes - ✔✔Atherosclerosis (CAD, PVD, MI, Stroke)
Retinopathy (Screen annually, rx-lasr photocoag)
Nephropathy - ACE inhibs prevent, 30% of ESRD
Neuropathy, Infections, Foot disease
✔✔ITP characteristics - ✔✔IgG coats and damages platelets, which are then removed
by splenic macrophages.
Acute form: seen in children, preceded by viral infection, usually self limited
Chronic form: usually in adults, women 20-40. Spontaneous remissions are rare.
✔✔Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) - ✔✔Complex, acquired disorder in
which clotting and hemorrhage simultaneously occur
✔✔DIC treatment - ✔✔Anticoagulant therapy
Replacement therapy: Transfusion of platelets, FFP, or concentrations of coagulation
factors
Complete removal of the underlying injury
Priorities are circulation and oxygenation
Most effective nursing intervention is anticipation of DIC in any patient with infection,
trauma, cancer, or obstetric emergency!!
✔✔Definition of Anemia - ✔✔Males: Hb <13.5 g/dl
Females: Hb <12.5 g/dl
✔✔Rules for collecting blood cultures - ✔✔Collect a minimum of 8 to 10 ml of blood into
each culture bottle. Observe the rapid flow of blood into the bottle. Failure of blood to
appear indicates that the vacuum is lost or that the needle is not in the vein. Avoid
overfilling the culture bottle, which may cause a false-positive result.
✔✔Risk Factors for Functional Decline in Geriatric Patients - ✔✔older age, cognitive
impairment, depressive symptoms, diabetes, physical limitations, alcohol use, stroke
✔✔Dementia Treatment Options: Medications - ✔✔Cholinesterase inhibitors. These
medications — including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine
(Razadyne) — work by boosting levels of a chemical messenger involved in memory
and judgment.
Although primarily used to treat Alzheimer's disease, these medications might also be
prescribed for other dementias, including vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease
dementia and Lewy body dementia.
Side effects can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Other possible side effects
include slowed heart rate, fainting and sleep disturbances.