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2014

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Articles 151 - 180 of 1243

Full-Text Articles in Medical Sciences

Necrotizing Fasciitis: The “Flesh Eating” Disease, John Neukam Oct 2014

Necrotizing Fasciitis: The “Flesh Eating” Disease, John Neukam

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Necrotizing fasciitis, often referred to as the “flesh-eating disease”, is a rare bacterial infection with an extremely high mortality rate with symptoms that begin subtle but can quickly ravish the human body.1 While the prevalence of this disease is relatively low, evidence of this disease can be traced back as far as the 5th century BC where it was initially described by Hippocrates.2 It wasn’t until 1952 however that Dr. Bob Wilson termed the disease “necrotizing fasciitis”.3 The rapid progression of this disease and the acute deterioration it causes in a patient is extremely intriguing. This “flesh-eating disease” can present …

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Accurate Intervention In Visceral Aneurysms, Megan Hoying Oct 2014

Accurate Intervention In Visceral Aneurysms, Megan Hoying

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

A 30 year old male presented to the ED with a one week history of fever, abdominal pain, and poor PO intake due to nausea and emesis. He was given a GI cocktail and sent home for a presumed diagnosis of gastritis. After having persistent pain the patient returned to the ER the following day and was admitted for further testing. The patient died 3 days later. This is an interesting case presentation, and was in no way straightforward.

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Pseudocholinesterase Deficiency, Ross Gerken Oct 2014

Pseudocholinesterase Deficiency, Ross Gerken

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Pseudocholinesterase deficiency is a rare genetic or acquired variation in the metabolism of choline esters such as the neuromuscular blockers succinylcholine, mivacurium, and ester local anesthetics. Pseudocholinesterase deficiency genetically is transmitted in an autosomal recessive pattern with the frequency of apnea from a genetic abnormality of pseudocholinesterase between 1:480 and 1:3200 people (Ok et al., 2013). An extended period of neuromuscular blockade results from these medications than what is clinically expected. The signs and symptoms which occur are apnea and paralysis hours longer. This condition is rare but must be known and understood by the clinician in order to provide …

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Understanding The Mystery Of Brain Death, Natalie A. Felter Oct 2014

Understanding The Mystery Of Brain Death, Natalie A. Felter

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Lack of understanding of brain death has contributed to recent controversial cases (Copnell, 2014). The cases of Jahi McMath and Marlise Munoz were the focus of national news, causing an intense debate among the public and healthcare professionals (Copnell, 2014). The concept of brain death is a mystery to the public (Powell, 2014). Copnell (2014) found that 60% of family members who had been told their loved one was brain dead believed that they were still alive. Health professionals not having a clear grasp of brain death’s definition and assessment can lead to increased confusion in family members (Powell, 2014).

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Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, Tiffany Branson Oct 2014

Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, Tiffany Branson

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy or HOCM, is a genetic disease that is described as hypertrophy or enlargement of the left ventricle which obstructs the blood flow to the body (Yue-Cheng et al., 2012). HOCM is a disease that cannot be cure, but can be treated. One of the main goals of treatment is to focus on treating the symptoms. HOCM can be asymptomatic or symptomatic and can cause some major complications. Some of the complications of HOCM are arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, “which is defined as natural death to due cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one …

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Dvt And Economy Class Syndrome, Troy Perkins Oct 2014

Dvt And Economy Class Syndrome, Troy Perkins

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Traveling long distances can be very stressful on the body. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has often been linked to long air flights or long distance travel in a vehicle. DVT is a blood clot usually formed in the legs. Economy Class Syndrome (ECS) has been referred to as the formation of a DVT occurring during (or just after) a long airplane flight, especially in economy class where there is the least space allotted per passenger and one’s legs especially tend to be immobilized for lack of leg room (MedicineNet, 2012). Developing a DVT can lead to other life-threatening illnesses such …

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Does Your Child Have Reflux Or Could There Be More To It Than That, Cody Elam Oct 2014

Does Your Child Have Reflux Or Could There Be More To It Than That, Cody Elam

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is differentiated from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) by endoscopic and histopathologic examination. The hallmark of EE is eosinophilic infiltration of the esophagus. EE has been defined as “a clinicopathologic entity, combining clinical data on (1) relevant symptoms (distinct in the pediatric or adult populations with mostly food impaction and dysphagia in adults and feeding intolerance, failure to thrive, and GERD symptoms in children); (2) esophageal biopsies with adequate histologic findings in the esophageal biopsies (>15 eosinophils/high power field [HPF]); and (3) exclusion of other diseases with overlapping features, especially GERD” (Genevay, Rubbia-Brandt, & Rougemont, 2010, p.816). …

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Protein Losing Enteropathy Following Fontan Palliation In The Single Ventricle Population, Alaina Dunkleberger Oct 2014

Protein Losing Enteropathy Following Fontan Palliation In The Single Ventricle Population, Alaina Dunkleberger

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Congenital heart defects requiring single ventricle palliation are a rare but life-threatening occurrence. There are multiple defects resulting in single ventricle physiology including defects in which the right or left ventricle within the heart is either undeveloped (hypoplastic left heart syndrome, hypoplastic right heart syndrome), or the valve to the main pulmonary artery did not form (pulmonary atresia). These defects prevent the heart from supplying adequate blood flow to the lungs or body. Single ventricle congenital heart defects are not easily treated surgically due to their complexity in nature. Single ventricle surgical palliation typically involves three open-heart surgeries including the …

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Therapeutic Hypothermia Following Cardiac Arrest, Cassandra Patrick Oct 2014

Therapeutic Hypothermia Following Cardiac Arrest, Cassandra Patrick

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (2014), each year, 424,000 people in the U.S. (more than 1,000/day) experience EMS-assessed out-of-hospital non-traumatic sudden cardiac arrest. This is roughly equivalent to the number of people who die from Alzheimers’ disease, assault with firearms, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, HIV, house fires, motor vehicle accidents, prostate cancer and suicides combined (Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, 2014). It is estimated that the likelihood of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) to hospital discharge can be as low as 6% to 8% (Williams, Calder, Cocchi & Donnino, 2013). Additionally an estimated 200,000 hospitalized …

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Effects Of Edmr On Veterans With Ptsd, Beth Abele Oct 2014

Effects Of Edmr On Veterans With Ptsd, Beth Abele

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Of all the mental health disorders, the most commonly diagnosed among Iraqi and Afghanistan wars is Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Hellmuth et al., 2012). Veterans who are suffering the effects of PTSD are treated every day in VA Medical Centers across the country, as well as in private sector hospitals. Many of these men and women are battling with drug addictions and alcohol abuse in attempts to self medicate (Murdoch et al., 2010). According to nationally represented study by Murdoch and colleagues (2010), one fifth of individuals who have been diagnosed with PTSD use drugs, alcohol or both to treat …

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Brain Death Determination, Bethani Knipfer Oct 2014

Brain Death Determination, Bethani Knipfer

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Patient MR was a seventeen year old female involved in a motor vehicle collision which resulted in a traumatic brain injury leading to declaration of brain death. The pathophysiology behind the traumatic brain injury, the concept and use of a brain tissue monitoring device, and the tests used in the declaration of brain death will be explored. When brain death is determined, the patient has the opportunity to become an organ donor. Thousands of people are waiting for organs to become available. This is a huge healthcare concern that may be decreased if the general public is more educated regarding …

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Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Related Angioedema, Andrea Sims Oct 2014

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Related Angioedema, Andrea Sims

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

A 54 year old female patient arrives to the emergency department (ED) via squad complaining that 2 days ago her lips were tingling and her face felt a little swollen but it subsided. Today she woke up with her tongue protruding out of her mouth, her lips, face and eyes are swollen. She does not present with itching or urticaria. Squad personnel established an IV, gave her intravenous (IV) Benadryl 50 mg, and 0.3 mg subcutaneous epinephrine without any change in her condition. The emergency medical service (EMS) also applied oxygen at 2 liters per minute (lpm). She denies taking …

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The Mystery Of Transverse Myelitis: Can It Happen To You?, Jessica Castle Oct 2014

The Mystery Of Transverse Myelitis: Can It Happen To You?, Jessica Castle

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Imagine a day like any other, as a healthy performs daily tasks without any particular difficulty. Then, the first fall happens. After standing and recovering, two more falls occur; however, despite all physical effort, standing proves to be a complete impossibility. Imagine the fear. What is going on? This unexplainable scenario happened to an 81 woman diagnosed with idiopathic transverse myelitis (TM) in May 2011, leaving her permanently paralyzed below the mysteriously appearing T9 lesion. This woman had only a personal history of asthma and breast cancer, and nothing significant in her family history. After 60 days of lumbar punctures, …

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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Jaqueline Yunker Oct 2014

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Jaqueline Yunker

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome is an inflammatory response resulting from injury to the alveolar-­‐capillary membrane. This injury is caused by a systemic inflammatory response that involves either direct trauma to the lung cells, such as a pneumonia, or indirect, such as sepsis. The inflammatory response that is triggered results in leaky alveolar-­‐capillary beds and infiltration of the lungs (Villar, 2011). This is very common with approximately 150,000 cases annually in the United States and a very high mortality rate of 60,000 deaths per year (Pipeling & Fan, 2010). Despite the high mortality rate, 15-­‐35%, there is no set of guidelines …

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Licorice Consumption Causing Hypokalemia And Lethal Dysrhythmias, Gina Grosscup Oct 2014

Licorice Consumption Causing Hypokalemia And Lethal Dysrhythmias, Gina Grosscup

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

This report describes a case in which approximately a two-month exposure of licorice root tea consumption containing glycyrrhizic acid (GA) produced generalized weakness, secondary hypertension, hyporeflexia and hypokalemia, leading to a reentry dysrhythmia of ventricular fibrillation. Although licorice root has been used for medicinal purposes dating back centuries the potential toxic side effects can be life threatening without early recognition. Most licorice candies in the western world contain artificial flavoring but the use of actual licorice root containing GA is common in many Middle-Eastern, Far Eastern and European countries. The purpose of this report is two-fold, first to describe the …

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Basics Of Oncologic Type B Lactic Acidosis: Increased Awareness For Better Outcomes?, Erin E. Steiner Oct 2014

Basics Of Oncologic Type B Lactic Acidosis: Increased Awareness For Better Outcomes?, Erin E. Steiner

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The most common and best known form of lactic acidosis, Type A, presents in the environment of tissue hypoxia. The lesser known form, Type B, does not involve tissue hypoxia, is not well understood, and very often results in death. No randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing treatment modalities currently exist (Ruiz, Singh, & Hart, 2011). Increased recognition by medical and nursing disciplines may result in quicker diagnosis, opportunity to implement treatment, possibility for RCTs, and better outcomes.

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Myasthenia Gravis: A Closer Look, Erin L. Ricker Oct 2014

Myasthenia Gravis: A Closer Look, Erin L. Ricker

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease that affects the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and the acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction (Mestecky, 2013). MG causes fluctuating skeletal muscle weakness and fatigue. According to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) (2010), 20 per 100,000 patients are diagnosed with MG, although researchers believe several more patients are misdiagnosed or missed entirely. Several neurological disorders have similar clinical presentations to MG making it difficult for inexperienced practitioners to identify and properly diagnose patients. Patients are often misdiagnosed and delayed proper treatment for one to two years after initial presentation of symptoms …

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Pathophysiology, Incidence And Implications In Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasia Of The Pancreas, Ericka Haverick Oct 2014

Pathophysiology, Incidence And Implications In Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasia Of The Pancreas, Ericka Haverick

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are uncommon tumors arising from the main pancreatic duct, branching pancreatic ducts, or both. The “overall incidence of invasive carcinoma associated with resected IPMN has been reported to be 20-40%” (Mohri et al., 2011). Due to their malignant potential, these lesions, along with mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCN), are considered more worrisome, and often require surgical resection (Gallucci, Langellotto, De Ritis, & Uomo, 2012). Even after removal of a primary lesion, patients remain under surveillance to monitor for recurrence, the rate of which is approximately 6 % (Gallucci et al., 2012), and patients with main duct …

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Malignant Hyperthermia, Eric Weberding Oct 2014

Malignant Hyperthermia, Eric Weberding

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an autosomal-dominant disorder that is inherited. The disturbance of calcium homeostasis associated with MH affects skeletal muscle (Schneiderbanger, Johannsen, Roewer, & Schuster, 2014). This hypermetabolic muscular disorder is triggered by exposure to depolarizing muscle relaxants such as succinylcholine or inhaled halogenated volatile anesthetics such as sevoflurane, halothane, desflurane, enflurane, and isoflurane (Stratman, Flynn, & Hatton, 2009). In susceptible individuals, this potentially lethal syndrome may cause hyperthermia, hypercapnia, muscular rigidity, hypoxemia, acidosis, tachycardia, and hyperkalemia (Schneiderbanger et al., 2014).

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Hereditary Spherocytosis, Dolores Loeser Oct 2014

Hereditary Spherocytosis, Dolores Loeser

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Hereditary Spherocytosis (HS) is a hemolytic anemia where red blood cell membranes are spherical unlike common red blood cells, which are flat and round. In individuals with HS the spleen does not recognize these amorphous cells and destroys—rather filters—them them, making the individual anemic (MedlinePlus, 2013). HS is an autosomal dominant, or recessive autosomal inherited blood disease (Huq, Pietroni, Rahman & Alam, 2010) HS happens in 1 in 2,000 of the Caucasian population in or from Northern Europe (MedlinePlus, 2013). The proteins involved in HS are ankyrin-1, ά-spectrin, β-spectrin, band 3, and protein 4.2. Hyperbilirubinemia is a common symptoms in …

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Global Burden Of Tuberculosis, Diana Moses Oct 2014

Global Burden Of Tuberculosis, Diana Moses

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health concern not only in the United States, but in the entire world. TB is an airborne communicable infection which has affected human beings from immemorial times, evidenced by TB being found in the skeletal remains of ancient mummies (Gough & Kaufman, 2011). There are many patho physiological events in TB that concern the entire body, especially the respiratory and immunological systems. According to Knechel, TB prevalence is rising due to the increased number of patients infected with HIV, bacterial resistance to medications, increased international travel and immigration from countries with high prevalence of TB, …

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Enterovirus: What Everyone Should Know, Debra Mccorkle Oct 2014

Enterovirus: What Everyone Should Know, Debra Mccorkle

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Enterovirus is capturing the attention of everyone; but what is it, who is affected by it, and can it be treated and/or prevented? Like any virus the enterovirus has many different strains. The strain capturing everyone’s attention lately is human enterovirus 68 (HEV68). This strain was first detected in California in 1962 (Oberste et al., 2004). Most cases of HEV68 are mild and do not require medical attention, however some can become severe and may cause serious heart or brain infections according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (Updated September 8, 2014). HEV68 is a respiratory …

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Hemophilia A: Pathophysiology And Treatment Strategies, Daniel Dinneen Oct 2014

Hemophilia A: Pathophysiology And Treatment Strategies, Daniel Dinneen

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Hemophilia is a sex-linked recessive coagulation disorder that varies in severity. The implications and complications of hemophilia can be life threatening; pathology is usually diagnosed during childhood and adequate management is essential in maintaining health. Advanced practice nurses treat a variety of hemophilia patients in varying roles throughout the lifespan as hemostasis is a constant physiologic process. Thorough knowledge of the pathophysiology, signs/symptoms, and treatment modalities related to hemophilia is necessary to provide the highest level of comprehensive medical care to such patients. Hemophilia care is continued throughout the lifespan, and newer research indicates that current treatment modalities can initiate …

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Early-Onset Familial Alzheimer Disease, Laura J. Murphy Oct 2014

Early-Onset Familial Alzheimer Disease, Laura J. Murphy

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis is an overwhelming and devastating diagnosis for both patients and families. Now imagine if this diagnosis was made at age 55. Instead of looking forward to retirement and grandchildren, these people are preparing for a debilitating disease that will rob them of their memory, cognitive and functional abilities. Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (EOFAD) affects people before the age of 65. Although extremely rare, some exhibit symptoms as early as in their 30s. One of the things most frustrating about this disease is so little is known about its cause. That and the fact there is no cure. …

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Sports Related Traumatic Brain Injuries, Ky Parrott Oct 2014

Sports Related Traumatic Brain Injuries, Ky Parrott

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are the leading cause of long-term disability and injury death in the United States of America (Dash, Oh, Santiago, & Wade, 2012, p. 108). It is estimated that approximately 75% of all TBI’s are sports related. Recently, sports related TBI’s have received increased awareness due to the $765 million settlement between 18,000 retired football players who suffer from long-term concussive injuries and the National Football Association (NFL) (Mason, 2013, p. 267). Education regarding the pathophysiology of TBI’s is beneficial to understanding what changes the brain is enduring and why it is important to protect the brain, …

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The Role Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor In Depression, Katie Mendez Oct 2014

The Role Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor In Depression, Katie Mendez

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

According to The World Health Organization, depression is the fourth leading cause of total disease burden and the leading cause of disability worldwide. In the United States, results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reflect a 16.2% lifetime depression prevalence. Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe and can be episodic or chronic. Depression has a high rate of comorbidity with multiple chronic diseases and other mental health disorders, predominately anxiety. Unfortunately, few Americans diagnosed with depression actually receive sufficient treatment and symptom management. Previous research has shown that individuals are more likely to seek treatment …

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Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, Kari Patterson Oct 2014

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, Kari Patterson

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Term Takotsubo was introduced in 1991 to describe the shape of the left ventricle during an episode of cardiomyopathy. Takotsubo is a Japanese term for a narrow-necked fishing pot used to catch octopus. The left ventricle assumes the shape of the octopus pot during Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is commonly known as Broken Heart Syndrome due to its association with an emotional stressor. Mimics acute coronary syndrome without coronary artery blockage/stenosis. Affects more women than men. Occurs mainly in postmenopausal women (women over the age of 50) Believe a hormonal effect on catecholamine release plays a role.

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Tension Pneumocephalus, Nicole Liebner Oct 2014

Tension Pneumocephalus, Nicole Liebner

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Pneumocephalus is defined as the presence of air within the cranial vault; tension pneumocephalus occurs when air within the cranial vault becomes trapped and causes a mass effect or increased pressure, damaging the brain (Patel, Idicula, Carrau, & Prevedello, 2013). Small amounts of air within the cranial vault can be reabsorbed or metabolized by the body over a few days without causing symptoms, however, in tension pneumocephalus the air cannot escape, causing extensive neurological symptoms (Webber-Jones ,2005). Thus, asymptomatic pneumocephalus can be a common finding following a cranial surgery, where as tension pneumocephalus is extremely rare (Webber-Jones, 2005). Markam (1967) …

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Incretin Hormones And Their Effects In Type 2 Diabetes, Molly Getz Oct 2014

Incretin Hormones And Their Effects In Type 2 Diabetes, Molly Getz

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a progressive disease characterized as having pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, insulin resistance and hyperglycemia (Stephens, 2010, p. 491). T2DM affected 29.1 million Americans or 9.3% of the population in 2012 and was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2010 ("ADA Statistics," 2014), with many of these patients finding it difficult to achieve or maintain adequate glycemic control despite making lifestyle changes and pharmacologic interventions (Freeman, 2007). Disease management of T2DM requires a comprehensive plan including medication therapy, education and active involvement of the patient, with the goal of therapy to …

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Cardiomems Heart Failure System: Keeping Patients Out Of The Hospital, Michelle Leyland Oct 2014

Cardiomems Heart Failure System: Keeping Patients Out Of The Hospital, Michelle Leyland

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

It is well known that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with about 670,000 new diagnoses of congestive heart failure (CHF) each year (Suh et al., 2011). CHF results from a number of different causes, produces many different symptoms and occurs when the heart muscle cannot efficiently pump blood to the rest of the body (Suh et al., 2011). In the United States, heart failure (HF) and associated hospitalizations are leading contributors to high health care costs (Feltner et al., 2014). Up to one fourth of patients hospitalized with HF are readmitted within 30 …

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