Care of pressure ulcers and traumatic wounds
Care of pressure ulcers and traumatic wounds Care of pressure ulcers ♦ A pressure ulcer is a skin or tissue injury that results when pressure, or pressure combined with shear…
Specimen collection
Specimen collection Blood, fecal occult ♦ Used to detect occult blood (hidden GI bleeding) and for distinguishing between true melena and melena-like stools, which may result from certain drugs, such…
Common laboratory tests
Common laboratory tests Alanine aminotransferase Purpose ♦ To detect acute hepatic disease, especially hepatitis and cirrhosis without jaundice, and evaluate its treatment ♦ To distinguish between myocardial and hepatic tissue…
Assessment
Assessment Collecting patient data Performing a 10-minute examination ♦ You won’t always want or need to examine a patient in 10 minutes. However, rapid examination is crucial when you must…
Common disorders
Common disorders Alzheimer’s disease Overview ♦ Degenerative disorder of the cerebral cortex, especially the frontal lobe ♦ Accounts for more than 50% of all cases of dementia ♦ Poor prognosis…
Data collection findings
Data collection findings Normal findings To distinguish between health and disease, you must be able to recognize normal data collection findings in each part of the body. When you perform…
Vital signs
Vital signs Temperature ♦ Body temperature represents the balance between heat produced by metabolism, muscular activity, and other factors and heat lost through the skin, lungs, and body wastes. A…
Patient mobility, hygiene, comfort, and safety
Patient mobility, hygiene, comfort, and safety This chapter covers the fundamental procedures needed to ensure patient mobility, hygiene, comfort, and safety. Each entry begins with a brief introduction and, where…
