For the functional patient, assessment can be done by observation of body movement, gait, grimacing, and asking the patient to rate pain on a scale and describe the characteristics (burning, stabbing, aching, frequency, duration, etc.). If the patient is cognitively impaired, simple questions can be asked -- "do you feel a burning sensation, etc." If the patient is non-responsive or cannot understand, one can observe changes in behavior, agitation, facial expressions, or vocalizations. Note, too, that cognitively impaired patients can sometimes be overstimulated by their environment, so take that into account. Finally, involve family or caregivers and ask questions. Additionally, particularly for the elderly, pain assessment must be regular since many think that pain is a normal part of aging or are reluctant to report symptoms (Victor, 2001).
1. Assuming we are given the order to administer 500mg acetaminophen orally or .05 mg/kg IV or .1mg/kg IM of morphine to the patient. To properly assess whether any of the pain medications were successful would depend on the patient's condition, the medication given, and the timing. The oral dose of acetaminophen would likely not react for 30-60 minutes, the morphine far quicker. I would regularly monitor the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. I would compare these, likely at the 15, 30 and 60 minute interval after injection with pre-medication and actively look for signs showing decreasing heart rate, BP, and anxiety levels. After administration of the morphine, patient should be calmer, show fewer signs of distress, and potentially be asleep.
2. Assessing the geriatric patient is unlike assessing other ages because it must take into account a more multi-layered approach. One must use advocacy and care theory to assess not only the physical symptoms, but the mental and emotional state of the patient as well as cognitive functions. In elderly patients who are aware and cogent,...
CUBAN CASE STUDY Mrs. Demetilla Hernandez a 63-year- Cuban woman seeks consultation Liberty health-maintenance organization (HMO) clinic weakness, lethargy, fatigue experienced 2 months. A week ago, cooking dinner daughter, Mariana's house, momentarily lost balance slipped kitchen floor. CUBAN CASE STUDY As a health-care provider, what are the typical Cuban communication patterns you need to be aware of in dealing with Mrs. Hernandez? Latino families are often multigenerational in their composition. As the grandmother,
Case Study on Mrs. BrownOlder Adult Case ScenarioMrs. Brown is a 75-year-old individual who is came to the health clinic for follow-up after she had a fall in her home and suffered some minor injuries to her wrist and bruising to her hip. Mrs. Brown also states that she has occasional memory loss and dizziness when she stands up. She was diagnosed with early Alzheimer�s Disease a year ago but
Lingu francas are languages used b wide groups of people to facilitate communication between cultures that traditionally use separate languages; English is the lingua franca of much of the world, as people from Sweden to China to Egypt learn it to facilitate international communication. Pidgins and creoles are bastardizations of two or more languages from a merging or meeting of cultures. National and official languages can be established to ease
Recruitment of a Star In the case study presented by Groysberg et al. (2007), Stephen Conner has a number of difficulties to face in his hiring decision. The unexpected departure of his star semiconductor analyst -- at a particularly crucial juncture for Conner's firm, handling a semiconductor-related deal -- means that Conner needs to make a replacement decision fast. But how does a firm replace a star? Each of Conner's potential
In the last few decades the percentage of women in the labor force has dramatically increased from 11% in 1940 to 56% in 1980 with 62% of the women between the ages of 45 and 65 employed (U.S. Department of Labor, 1986).The extent to which such employment affects caregivers is apparent in the results of a survey conducted by the AARP. Findings reveal that 55% of the women caring
Mama Might Be Better off Dead For the past several decades, health care reform has been on the top of the political lip service agenda. Presidential candidates debate heatedly over which types of Medicare or Medicaid reforms should be instated and purport to want "universal health care." They call out for assistance to low-income families and claim that no American citizen should go without health care services. Yet through all
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