Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons^™

Raynaud’S Phenomenon, Sarah Gasper

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is a widely prevalent clinical disorder commonly seen in outpatient settings. It is characterized by episodic vasospastic attacks of the digital arteries and arterioles that limit blood flow to the extremities, causing severe pain. Temperature changes and stress are the primary triggers that exacerbate this disease. The classic biphasic color changes of RP are pallor, cyanosis, and erythema and commonly affect the fingers and toes and more rarely, the nose, nipples, ears, lips, and penis. RP is divided into subcategories. Primary Raynaud’s phenomenon (PRP) is when no underlying medical disease exists and the condition happens spontaneously. It …

Chikungunya Virus: More Than A Mosquito Bite, Abigail Shaw

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Chikungunya fever is a viral infection caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Although seldom fatal, CHIKV causes high fevers, polyarthralgia, and rash. The mosquito-borne virus has spread rapidly in the last ten years, causing over three million cases of CHIKV worldwide (Powers, 2015). The recent outbreak initiated in Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean in 2004 has quickly spread to Asia, Europe and the Americas (CDC, 2015). According to the CDC (2015), until 2014, cases in the United States had only been linked to foreign travel outside of the Americas. As the outbreak has grown, cases of local …

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura, Ann Oliva

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Patients with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura, or TTP, are often times seen in the emergency department and subsequently admitted to the inpatient or the critical care unit. The problems that TTP patients can present with vary greatly and astute nursing assessment plus knowledge of the pathophysiology behind the diagnosis is vital to deliver excellent nursing care. Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura or TTP is a rare but potentially fatal condition that occurs as result of decreased levels of ADAMTS-13, a cleaving protease for von Willebrand factor (vWF), which causes platelet aggregation and microvascular thrombi and subsequent end-organ damage, along with thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, …

Malignant Hyperthermia: A Clinical Crisis, Eric Reing

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Malignant hyperthermia, though uncommon, is a serious and life threatening condition. Malignant hyperthermia is an autosomal dominant disorder that affects skeletal muscle. It can be caused by various general anesthetic agents like succinylcholine and several inhaled anesthetics. Malignant hyperthermia is a relevant topic to certified registered nurse anesthetists due to the potentially fatal result if not recognized and treated promptly. In understanding the pathophysiology, risk factors, signs and symptoms, epidemiology, and current treatments the health care provider can help to prevent complications due to this disorder (Nagelhout, 2014).

What You Need To Know About Malignant Hyperthermia, Regan C. Siegman

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The first case of malignant hyperthermia (MH) that can be identified dates back to the 1960s when a patient with a known familial history of anesthesia complications demonstrated tachycardia, increased body temperature and hypotension following induction of anesthesia. After this incident, clinicians described MH as an increased metabolic state that has a range of signs associated with induction of inhaled anesthetics (Seifert, Wahr, Pace, Cochrane, & Bagnola, 2014). MH is a serious, life-threatening reaction that occurs after being exposed to certain inhaled and local anesthetics. Some of the inhaled volatile anesthetic agents that can trigger MH include halothane, sevoflurane, desflurane …

Preparedness Of Nurses For Malignant Hyperthermia, Melissa Flemming

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially life threatening disorder that occurs following exposure to certain inhaled anesthetics such as halothane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane, enflurane, ether, and methoxyflurane alone or in combination with the depolarizing muscle relaxant, succinylcholine (Seifert,, Wahr, Pace, Cochrane, & Bagnola, 2014, p. 189). Patients experiencing malignant hyperthermia may progress to death if it is not recognized and treated early. Patient outcomes improve the earlier an intervention is given. Malignant hyperthermia is not a common condition and, therefore, nurses are frequently unfamiliar with the common signs, symptoms, and treatments. Malignant hyperthermia can occur in a variety of settings …

The Plight Of The Lucluc: Examining The Deadly Mystery Of Nodding Syndrome, Ethan K. Mcgann

Senior Honors Theses

Nodding syndrome (NS) is an emerging epidemic neurological disease that is shrouded in mystery. It is currently only found in the post-conflict regions of South Sudan, northern Uganda, and Tanzania. NS occurs in children from the ages of five to fifteen and is characterized by a loss of motor control in the neck muscles. Seizure episodes can range in intensity from atonic to tonic-clonic, and the onset of the first episode generally marks the beginning of a decline in the child’s physical and mental health. NS is a progressive disease that generally results in physical wasting, stunted growth, behavioral difficulties, …

Brain Blast 2015 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Poster from UNE's Brain Blast 2015 listing the expected presenters at this event.*

Clinical Guidelines: Where Environment Meets Medicine, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

N/A

Is Ginger An Effective Treatment For Moderate Or Severe Dysmenorrhea In Females Over The Age Of 18?, Katy N. Degraw

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not ginger is a safe and effective treatment for moderate or severe dysmenorrhea in females over the age of 18.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three randomized controlled studies. All three studies are published in English between 2009-2013.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized placebo controlled studies found using PubMed and Medline.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes that were measured were severity of pain, duration of pain, change in symptoms, and change in severity. This was done by using a visual analogue scale, 5-point Likert scale, Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test, and verbal …

Is Lubiprostone Effective In Treating Symptoms Of Chronic Constipation?, Christine M. Macdonald

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not lubiprostone is effective in treating symptoms of chronic constipation.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trials from 2007- 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Three double-blind, randomized, controlled trials were found using PubMed. These studies compared treatment with lubiprostone to a visually matched placebo.

OUTCOME MEASURED: The frequency of each patient’s spontaneous bowel movements within the first 24 hours after initial treatment was recorded from the data collected from the patient’s daily diary.

RESULTS: All three trails demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the rates …

Are Topical Heat Patches More Effective At Relieving Pain Associated With Dysmenorrhea Than Otc Nsaids (Ibuprofen 400 Mg Po Q8h Or Acetaminophen 500 Mg Po Q6h) In Menstruating Women 18 And Over?, Samantha R. Murray

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not topical heat patches are more effective at relieving pain associated with dysmenorrhea than OTC NSAIDs (Ibuprofen 400 mg PO Q8h or Acetaminophen 500mg PO Q6h) in menstruating women 18 and over.

Study Design: Review of three English-language randomized control trials (RCTs) that were published in 2001, 2004, and 2012.

Data Sources: Three single-blinded randomized control trials that were found using PubMed

Outcome Measured: Dysmenorrhea and any associated pain relief was measured using patient-reported scales of NRS-10 Pain scale, 6-Point categorical scale, and patient reports of sensual, …

What Is Pfapa And Why Does It Matter?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

PFAPA, the syndrome of periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical lymphadentitis, is an uncommon disease of episodic immune dysregulation that usually begins in early childhood. Symptoms occur at regular, predictable intervals, with healthy periods in between, and generally include the namesake signs and various other constitutional symptoms such as fever and fatigue. The etiology is unknown and there is no definitive diagnostic test or treatment. Uncertainty during the period of searching for a diagnosis may be disconcerting to the family and the clinician. Single-dose prednisone is effective for resolving the fever of PFAPA episodes within just a few hours, …

The Space I Own, Alison P. Lauro

SURGE

***TRIGGER WARNING: Eating Disorders***

I don’t care what anyone says—being a woman is hard. Being a young woman has its own set of complications–we experience a lot of pressure to look a certain way, to act a certain way, to have a specific friend group; to act as social butterflies and to live up to a set of socially constructed beauty standards. And there are too many girls—myself included—who have fallen victim to this impossible set of expectations. [excerpt]

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, …

Pathophysiology Of Migraine, Tina Capers

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Migraine is a primary headache disorder and is ranked 19th among all diseases world-wide that cause disability (International Headache Society, 2013). There are more than 37 million Americans who experience migraine. Migraine is most commonly experienced by individuals between the ages of 15 and 55 and 70% to 80% of migraineurs have a family history of migraine (National Headache Foundation, 2014). Migraine is the most common headache disorder for which patients obtain medical care (Minen, Tanev, & Friedman, 2014, p. 1131). Estimated migraine healthcare costs in the United States are $19.6 billion annually (Da Silva & Tepper, 2012, p. 824). …

Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, And Clinical Treatment Of A Patient With A Pheochromocytoma, Tricia L. Hale

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Hypertension is an extremely common diagnosis today. This condition can be caused by a multitude of factors, and can inversely cause numerous unfavorable processes in the body. One rare but significant source of hypertension is a tumor known as a pheochromocytoma, or PCC. This usually benign tumor is most often located on an adrenal gland, and can have a grave impact on the cardiovascular system. The tumor intermittently secretes an excess of the catecholamine norepinephrine, and if large enough, also secretes epinephrine [9]. These episodic bursts can cause extreme hypertension and tachycardia, leading to, at times fatal results. By understanding …

Craniocervical Arterial Dissection, Joseph Weisenberger

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The annual incidence for spontaneous carotid artery dissection (CAD) ranges from 2 to 3/100,000 patients and is even lower for a spontaneous vertebral artery dissection (VAD). Furthermore, there is only a .08% - .04% chance for the incidence of a traumatic dissection (TD), of the entire trauma population (Mortazvi, Verma, Tubbs, Harrigan, 2011). However, despite these low levels, CAD/VADs pose a serious threat to a patient’s plan of care if not identified and treated early.

Brain Blast 2014 Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Announcement poster for UNE's Brain Blast 2014, a pechakucha-style brain health and safety awareness and learning event.

Brain Blast 2014 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Poster from UNE's Brain Blast 2014 listing the presenters at this event.