How would you explain spinal shock to T.W.'s family and why T.W. requires mechanical ventilation at this time?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Initially, in most spinal cord injuries, there is a period of flaccid paralysis with a complete loss of motor, sensory, and reflex functions below the level of injury. This period of areflexia, as spinal shock might be referred to, is temporary; it occurs shortly after the spinal cord injury, and it might last days to weeks. The loss of systemic sympathetic vasomotor tone might result in vasodilation, increased venous capacity, and hypotension. During this time, the patient might need temporary respiratory support. The return of sacral reflexes indicates resolution.
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At the end of a planned teaching session, a nurse responds to a question loosely related to the topic by providing a detailed response that includes some points not covered in the lecture. What type of teaching does this represent?
a. formal teaching c. kinesthetic teaching b. informal teaching d. learning
A 75-year-old client expresses concern over not being eligible for home health visits. The nurse explains to the client that the elderly are entitled to home care under which legislation?
1. Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) 2. Omnibus Reconciliation Act 3. Medicare Act 4. Affordable Care Act
The nurse is working in a long-term care facility. As clients are assessed, the nurse notes that one client is confused and incontinent, which is new behavior for the client. The nurse should further assess the client, suspecting:
1. the client has had a stroke. 2. the client's oxygen level is decreased. 3. the client has cystitis. 4. the client has kidney stones.
Which of the following best describes a client's clinical course with trigeminal neuralgia?
a. intense pain over one month b. facial twitching lasting several weeks c. exacerbations and remissions increasing with age d. exacerbations and remissions decreasing with time