Nursing Commons^™

Knee Osteoarthritis, Maureen A. Stevens

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common age-related disorder of synovial joints that is classified as a noninflammatory joint disease that affects over 45% of Americans. In order to diagnose and treat the disease, the understanding of the pathophysiology behind the disease is necessary. Knee OA is a disease of cartilage and when that begins to breakdown collagens and proteoglycans are lost causing fibrillation, erosion, and cracking to the joint. This initially appears in the superficial layer of cartilage and progress over time to deeper layers, resulting eventually in large clinically observable erosions causing the disease. Treatments can range from over …

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (Dic), Nicholas A. Brown

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is an acquired syndrome characterized by intravascular activation of coagulation. There is a wide variety of etiologies that can lead to DIC, with sepsis at the forefront. DIC presents in just under 20% of ICU admissions, with mortality rates up to 78%. The following poster will provide a comprehensive review behind this complex disease process, highlighting the underlying pathophysiology, significance, and implications for nursing practice.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Whitney Smith

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common, chronic disease process that has historically affected adults but is becoming more common among children and adolescents due to rising rates of childhood obesity. While the primary risk factor for NAFLD is obesity, other metabolic conditions including dyslipidemias and insulin-resistance may also contribute to increased risk of NAFLD also. NAFLD occurs when excess triglycerides and free fatty acids (FFA) infiltrate the liver and are stored as lipids inside hepatocytes. In addition to the effects of decreased liver function from damaged cells, NAFLD also contributes to increased levels of inflammatory cytokines that further …

Congential Heart Disease (Chd) Adult Survivors And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Olivia Sutter

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Congenital heart disease (CHD) includes a wide array of disorders and varying degrees of severity and is the most common birth defect, comprising of 1% of all birth defects (CDC, 2018). Heart defects can be acyanotic (non-critical) or cyanotic (critical) (Deen & Krieger, 2016). Birth defects are determined to be cyanotic or acyanotic based on pulse oximetry and anatomy through echocardiogram technology (Mayo clinic, 2018). Due to the advances of interventions in this field, children with heart defects are living to adulthood and therefore are acquiring diseases of aging, such as atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes, in addition to the …

Pulmonary Embolism, Kira Robison

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

No abstract provided.

Retinal Detachment, Christa Kerns

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Vision is one of a few senses people take for granted but imagine the shift in quality of life if suddenly there was a black curtain covering a patient’s visual field. Symptoms of retinal detachment can present as benign visual disturbances that could be dismissed by both patients and providers. The symptoms can be so subtle that patients present as asymptomatic and are often detected during primary care visits. Retinal detachment is more often diagnosed as people age and the visual structures become weakened or in patients that have chronic medical conditions such as diabetes. Retinal detachment can be challenging …

Pathophysiology Of Insulin Resistance And Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Drew Linardi

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

No abstract provided.

Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (Trali), Tony Lybarger

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

No abstract provided.

Pathophysiolgoly Of Atrial Fibrillation, Abby Tener

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

According to Shah (2013), Atrial Fibrillation is known as the most common irregular heart beat. Because atrial fibrillation causes a quivering motion of the atria, it causes pooling of blood in the atria. This pooling of blood can lead to the development of blood clots. When a patient develops blood clots, the blood clot can dislodge and cause a stroke. Atrial fibrillation is the leading cause of ischemic stroke and when a patient meets a certain criteria, anticoagulation should be initiated. The clinician should also be aware of the patient's risk for bleeding as this can complicate treatment in protecting …

Pulmonary Embolism, Tonya Day

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The pathophysiological topic of acute pulmonary embolism was chosen to increase the knowledge base and provide additional information to assist with moving forward from a registered nurse to an Advance Practicing Nurse. Working as a full-time registered nurse in the emergency department, the working diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism is something that is ruled out on many patients with complaints of shortness of breath, chest pain, or decrease in pulse oximetry. Since a patient with an acute pulmonary embolism can have both typical and atypical symptoms, the death rate can be very high, if not caught earlier enough. An acute …

Von Willebrand Disease, Hannah Smith

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

von Willebrand disease is a complex disease requiring a complex diagnoses and treatment. The family nurse practitioner must be familiar in the care of this population. The most common signs and symptoms are heavy menses and epistaxis (Abshire et al., 2015, p. 1585). The pathophysiology differs based on what type of von Willebrand disease (VWD) the patient has. VWD has many different inheritance patterns. Type 3 (the most severe) usually happens when the gene is passed from the mother as well as the father. If the inheritance pattern is recessive, and neither parent phenotypically has the disease, then the child …

Diverticulitis, Amanda Fantino

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Diverticular disease affects approximately 2.5 million people in the United states and it accounts for more than 280,000 hospitalizations per year (Mulligan, 2015). In 2004, the treatment cost for diverticular diseases was approximately 3.6 billion dollars, this is a huge expense for health care in this country (Schneider et al., 2015). “Diverticulosis is the presence of diverticula in the absence of inflammation” (Wilkins, Embry, & George, 2013). In the United States one study found that those with diverticulosis have a twenty-five percent chance of developing diverticulitis in their lifetime (Wilkins, Embry, & George, 2013). The number of patient in the …

Essential Hypertension, Melinda Rodriguez- Tercius

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Hypertension effects 30% of the total population with incidences higher in socioeconomically deprived areas. This nurse will research the pathophysiology of essential hypertension to gain a thorough understanding of the disease and provide evidence based guidelines to assist the patient population in care and maintenance of hypertension. Control of this disease will decrease the incidence of complications that increase morbidity and mortality including cerebrovascular accidents and myocardial infarctions.

Hypertension is known to be the most common modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular related deaths in the United States (Fontil, Bibbins- Domingo, Nguyen, Guzman, & Goldman, 2017). Although hypertension is a largely …

Von Wlillebrand Disease, Deanna Miller

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

VWD is one of the most prevalent inherited bleeding disorder (James, 2017). This disorder is the result of a low levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF). VWF is a protein that binds to factor VIII; an essential clotting protein and platelets in the blood vessel walls that aids in production of a platelet plug during the clotting process (National Hemophilia Foundation, n.d.). This disorder was first described in 1926 by Erik von Willebrand. He distinguished that it differed from hemophilia and named it “pseudo hemophilia” (Leebeek, Eikenboom, 2016, p. 2067).

There are three main types of VWD, which is based …

Polycystic Kidney Disease, Christy Mcguire

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

This nurse is currently employed at an outpatient ambulatory hemodialysis (HD) clinic. National statistics revealed more than 660,000 Americans being treated for end stage renal disease (ESRD) and at the state level, Ohio has 16,182 individuals which are on routine HD with the primary causes attributed to diabetes and hypertension (HTN) (National Kidney Foundation [NKF], 2017). This nurse discovered a small patient population ascertained ESRD from an inherited familial disorder, particularly polycystic kidney disease (PKD). PKD is the fourth leading cause kidney failure and approximately 600,000 individuals have been diagnosed with PKD in the United States (U.S.) (NKF, 2017). PKD …

Ischemic Cardiomyopathy, Sarah Crawmer

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

A summary of ischemic cardiomyopathy with topics of signs and symptoms, treatment, significance of pathophysiology, underlying pathophysiology, and implications for nursing care.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd), Jenna Trimmer

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

COPD is said to be unappreciated with half of COPD patients going undiagnosed or under treated. The research of this assignment will help to increase the APNs knowledge of the disease, its pathophysiology, presentation of symptoms, and disease management for better patient outcomes.

Malignant Hyperthermia, Brandon Kinnamon

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Common anesthetic agents can trigger a pathological response in patients resulting in intracellular calcium release and hyper-metabolism. This condition is known as Malignant Hyperthermia (MH). It is vital for anesthesia professionals and critical care nurses to recognize MH and act quickly to limit rapid shifts of electrolytes which can ultimately lead to death. As soon as cardinal signs of malignant hyperthermia are identified, the medication dantrolene should be administered along with intensive nursing care. Significant signs and symptoms, the pathophysiology of MH, and implications for nursing care are all examined in greater detail.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Laura Quinter

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 8-10 percent of reproductive-aged females. “…PCOS happens when a woman's ovaries or adrenal glands produce more male hormones than normal. PCOS causes cysts (fluid-filled sacs) to grow on the ovaries” (Medline Plus, 2017). It is one of the most common diseases of endocrine dysfunction in women, but diagnosis is sometimes missed or delayed because patients with PCOS are often treated for the signs and symptoms of the condition without consideration for the underlying syndrome. Patients often present with complaints of acne, hair loss, hirsutism, irregular vaginal bleeding, and infertility. Many patients receive treatments for these …

Chiari Malformation, Karin Benner

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The well prepared advanced practice nurse will have a solid understanding of anatomy and physiology, as well as pathophysiological principles. The APN that practices in the emergency department or in the acute care setting should be familiar with a variety of common neurological disorders.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH) estimate that greater than 1 out of every 1000 persons will be identified with a Chiari malformation (CM) and the greater majority diagnosed will be female (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NIH], 2013, para. 6). Chiari malformations can be congenital or acquired and are staged …

Lyme Disease, Sondra Mcfadden

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is a bacterial infectious disease that is spread by zoonotic transmission in which animals act as reservoir hosts and ticks are the primary vector or carrier and are considered arthropods. This poster presents Lyme disease, its pathophysiology, and nursing considerations for treating it.

Acute Bronchospasm Under General Anesthesia, Cody Rasmussen

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

An acute bronchospasm during general anesthesia can become a life-threatening intraoperative condition for any patient. Bronchospasm occurs when the bronchial smooth muscle constricts which makes ventilating the patient difficult, and can ultimately lead to hypoventilation, hypoxemia, and metabolic acidosis. It’s imperative for any anesthesia provider to understand what a bronchospasm is, its pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and algorithm of treatments. This poster presentation provides a summary based discussion of acute bronchospasm under general anesthesia.

Sepsis, Sarah Jones

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Sepsis is a dysregulation of the inflammatory response, termed systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS, caused by stimulation of an infectious process. Sepsis often leads to organ dysfunction and increased morbidity, mortality and financial burdens. The goal of treatment is to initiate appropriate antimicrobial therapies, target the underlying infection, optimize intravascular volume, provide fluid resuscitation and maintain adequate perfusion and stroke volume (Taeb, Hooper & Marik, 2017).

Timing of treatment and early detection of sepsis is critical to patients with early warning signs. Sharing this information and potentially making a difference in the outcomes of patients presenting with early signs …

A Deeper Look Into Herpes Zoster, Jennifer Perkins

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Herpes zoster, otherwise known as shingles, is a prevalent condition in the United States, as close to 95% of the population are seropositive for the varicella zoster virus (VZV). The primary VZV infection is commonly known as chickenpox and typically occurs in childhood. After the initial VZV infection resolves, the VZV virus lies dormant in the affected individual’s dorsal ganglia until it is reactivated and manifests as shingles. The pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, complications, treatment, vaccination and nursing implications related to herpes zoster are thoroughly examined further.

Alzheimer's Disease, Kirstin Fortune

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

This presentation is an overview on Alzheimer's disease. Signs, symptoms, pathophysiology and pharmaceuticals are all incorporated in this poster. The United States is planning to address the possible crisis of Alzheimer's with many initiatives.

N5330 17 Schweickartcourtney Poster, Courtney Schweickart

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Asthma is a very important disease to understand in the year 2017. With noncompliant patients due to financial strain, resource deprivation, and overall poor socioeconomic status it is very important that the advanced practicing medical providers understand the underlying pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, medication regimen, and nursing implications associated with asthma. Without the education of this disease process and how to correctly manage an asthmatic patient, a controllable disease can ever so easily turn into a fatal diagnosis. In the intensive care setting asthmatic patients range from requiring mechanical ventilation support, to solely utilizing continuous aerosols. This poster explains all …

Traumatic Induced Coagulopathy, Paul Devore

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Trauma is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. For years patients have been resuscitated in a similar method without improvement in survival of the most severely injured cohort. While acidemia, hypoxia, and hypothermia have long been recognized as complicating factors in the care of trauma patients, it is only recently that research has led to a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of this deadly trio. Coagulopathy of trauma is a multi factorial process which is now being recognized as the proximate cause of death in many patients. This poster examines the pathophysiology and nursing interventions …

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tracy Fleming

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a gradually progressive disease that affects the airways or pulmonary parenchyma, or both, and results in airflow obstruction.

This poster aims to provide information regarding the signs & symptoms, underlying pathophysiology, and significance of this chronic disease state as well as the implications for nursing care.

Copd: Emphysema, Nicole Nuxol

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the third leading cause of death in the United States and is affecting more than 32 million Americans (Mosenifar, 2017). The prevalence of the disease continues to rise and many people are unaware they even have the disease. Prevention is essential in decreasing the incidence of the disease and Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) play a vital role. Emphysema is abnormal permanent enlargement of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, accompanied by the destruction of alveolar walls and without obvious fibrosis (Boka, 2016). Being able to understand the pathophysiology of emphysema will allow for providers …

Group A Strep (Gas), Kimberly Hyatt

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Abstract

Group A Streptococcal (GAS) bacteria is a common but potent pathogen. GAS is the most common cause of pharyngitis in the world and can be easily treated with the right antibiotic. Left untreated or undertreated, however, GAS is the ninth leading cause of infectious disease mortality, worldwide. Lethality from a GAS infection is 10-30%. The virulence factors of GAS are responsible for the short and long term havoc it wreaks on an individual, and the incredible disease burden of 18.1 million severe cases of GAS, annually, around the globe. In the U.S., each year, GAS pharyngitis, alone, costs $500 …