Contributing Factors: Hyperparathyroidism, malignant neoplastic disease, prolonged immobilization, overuse of calcium supplements, vitamin D excess, oliguric phase of renal failure, acidosis, corticosteroid therapy, thiazide diuretic use, increased parathyroid hormone, and digoxin toxicity. Read More »
Contributing Factors: Hypoparathyroidism (may follow thyroid surgery or radical neck dissection), malabsorption, pancreatitis, alkalosis, vitamin D deficiency, massive subcutaneous infection, generalized peritonitis, massive transfusion of citrated blood, chronic diarrhea, decreased parathyroid hormone, diuretic phase of renal failure, increased PO4, fistulas, burns. Read More »
Contributing Factors: Pseudohyperkalemia, oliguric renal failure, use of potassium-conserving diuretics in patients with renal insufficiency, metabolic acidosis, Addison’s disease, crush injury, burns, stored bank blood transfusion, and rapid IV administration of potassium. Read More »
Contributing Factors: Diarrhea, vomiting, gastric suction, corticosteroid administration, hyperaldosteronism, amphotericin B, bulimia, osmotic diuresis, alkalosis, starvation, diuretics, and digoxin toxicity. Read More »
Contributing Factors: Water deprivation in patients unable to drink at will, hypertonic tube feedings without adequate water supplementation, diabetes insipidus, heatstroke, hyperventilation, water diarrhea, burns, and diaphoresis. Excess corticosteroid, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium chloride administration, and salt water near-drowning victims. Read More »
Contributing Factors: Loss of sodium, as in use of diuretics, loss of GI fluids, renal disease, and adrenal insufficiency. Gain of water, as in excessive administration of D5W and water supplements for patients receiving hypotonic tube feedings; disease states associated with SIADH such as head trauma and oat-cell lung tumor; medication associated with water retention (oxytocin and certain tranquilizers); and psychogenic polydipsia. Hyperglycemia and heart failure cause a loss of sodium. Read More »
Contributing Factors: Compromised regulatory mechanisms, such as renal failure, heart failure, and cirrhosis; overzealous administration of sodium-containing fluids; and fluid shifts (i.e. treatment of burns). Prolonged corticosteroid therapy, severe stress, and hyperaldosteronism augment fluid volume excess. Read More »
Contributing Factors: Loss of water and electrolytes, as in vomiting, diarrhea, fistulas, fever, excess sweating, burn, blood loss, gastrointestinal suction, and third-space fluid shifts; and decreased intake as in anorexia, nausea, and inability to gain access to fluid. Diabetes insipidus and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus also contribute to a depletion of extracellular fluid volume. Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Assesses exercise tolerance (especially important in arterial disorders) and for pain caused by tissue ischemia. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered peripheral vascular function include arterial insufficiency (e.g. pain with exercise, rest pain, absent or diminished pulses, dependent rubor) and venous insufficiency (e.g. aching, cramping, pulses are present, peripheral edema) Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered nose, sinus and throat function include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered hematologic function include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Explore the client’s history for risk factors associated with renal and urinary disorders, including: Read More »
I. Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered hepatic, biliary and pancreatic function include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered muscoloskeletal function include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
• Explore the client’s history for risk factors associated with neurologic disease including, unsafe behavior (e.g. driving too fast, driving while drinking, diving into unknown waters), atherosclerosis, and family history. Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
• Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Elicit a description of the client’s overall health status. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered integumentary function are changes in size, formation, or texture of any type of skin lesion (e.g. mole, wart) and any type of disease or injury that causes the integrity of the skin to be penetrated. Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Elicit a description of the client’s overall health status, including immunizations status, usual childhood disease, known allergies and a history of past and present medications. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered immunity are subsequently described: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered endocrine and metabolic function include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. This can provide sufficient information for diagnosis. Symptoms indicating altered GI function include: Read More »
I.Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms indicating altered cardiovascular function include: Read More »
I. Assessment
Health history
Elicit a description of the client’s present illness and chief complaints, including onset, course, duration, location, and precipitating and alleviating factors. Cardinal signs and symptoms of respiratory dysfunction include: Read More »
I. Definition
• Urinary incontinence refers to the inability of the urinary sphincters to control the release of urine. The incidence of urinary incontinence increases with age. Read More »
I. Definition
• Nephrotic syndrome (nephrosis) is not a single disease but a group of symptoms. Symptoms include heavy proteinuria (increase in protein in the urine), hypoalbuminemia (decrease in albumin in the blood), edema, hypercholesterolemia (high serum cholesterol), and normal renal function. Read More »
I. Definition
• Urolithiasis (i.e. renal calculi) is described as calculi in the urinary tract – the bladder, the ureters, and the most commonly the kidneys. Read More »
I. Definition
• Glomerulonephritis is an inflammation of the glomerular capillaries. Read More »
I. Definition
• Inflammation and infection of urinary tract structures are classified as upper urinary tract infections (UTIs) or lower UTIs. Read More »
I. Definition
• Chronic renal failure is the end result of progressive irreversible loss of functioning renal tissue. It usually develops gradually, possibly taking up to several years to develop. In some cases, it may occur rapidly because of an acute disorder (e.g. unresolved acute renal failure) Read More »
I. Definition
• Urinary retention is urine retained in the bladder in the presence of normal urine production, with an inability to release it even when the micturition reflex is activated. Read More »
