70 Diseases NCLEX Cheat Sheet

List of Medical Diseases/Conditions Atrial fibrillation (A Fib)  Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) often, but not always, resulting in a fast heart beat (greater than 100 bpm) at rest. Atrial fibrillation increases the ...

List of Medical Diseases/Conditions Atrial fibrillation (A Fib)  Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) often, but not always, resulting in a fast heart beat (greater than 100 bpm) at rest. Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke so patients with this condition typically are placed on anticoagulants. Ex: Warfarin. Important things to monitor in these patients are INR levels, heart rate and changes in circulation. Precautions: Standard Pneumonia  Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lungs caused by a bacterial, viral, mycoplasmal, fungal, protozoal, or mycobacterial infection. Types of Pneumonia: Health care-associated pneumonia- Affects patients who are not hospitalized but who have close contact with the health care system, such as those who reside in long-term care facilities or who have regular hemodialysis. Community-acquired pneumonia- Occurs in the community setting or within the first 48 hours of admission to a health care facility because of community exposure. Aspiration pneumonia- Can occur in a community or health care facility setting and results from inhalation of foreign matter, such as vomitus or food particles, into the bronchi (most common in older patients, patients with a decreased level 70 Diseases NCLEX Cheat Sheet CHOOSINGNURSING.NET | ALL RIGHTS RESERVERD. © 2016 p.11 of consciousness, and those receiving nasogastric tube feedings); microaspiration, or aspiration of microbiologic organisms. Nursing Interventions: include encouraging coughing and deep breathing. Administer antibiotic therapy as ordered. Precautions: Contact (May be placed on Droplet if patient is positive for specific bacterial strains in sputum. Diverticular disease  Diverticulosis is a chronic condition of multiple diverticula formation that develops most commonly in middle age. It is typically discovered during routine colonoscopy screening, is often asymptomatic, and does not usually require treatment. Diverticulitis is an inflammatory complication of diverticulosis. It causes signs and symptoms that can have serious consequences. Most uncomplicated diverticulitis patients with mild symptoms are treated with antibiotics and a clear liquid diet. Nursing interventions: includes monitoring for strict intake and output and administering antibiotics. Precautions: Standard Crohn’s disease  Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disorder affecting mostly the distal ileum and colon. Crohn disease results in the malabsorption of water and nutrients, which may lead to fluid and electrolyte imbalances. Anemia often results, secondary to poor dietary intake and/or absorption of vitamins and nutrients. Nursing Interventions: include monitoring intake and output and laboratory values. Precautions: Standard 70 Diseases NCLEX Cheat Sheet CHOOSINGNURSING.NET | ALL RIGHTS RESERVERD. © 2016 p.12 Irritable bowel syndrome  IBS is a disorder that produces chronic, uncontrolled inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, which can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, causing edema, ulceration, bleeding, and profound fluid and electrolyte losses. Patients experience abdominal cramping, pain with diarrhea, nausea, dehydration, weight loss, cachexia, and anemia. Patients may experience an average of 5 to 10 diarrhea stools each day that also contain mucus leading to anemia, hypovolemia, and malnutrition. Anemia is related to active bleeding and poor intake and/or absorption of nutrients. Nursing interventions: includes monitoring hemoglobin levels and intake and output. Precautions: Standard COPD  COPD is a lung disease characterized by progressive airflow limitation resulting from small-airway disease and parenchymal destruction. Major risk factors include exposure to smoke (including tobacco, cooking fires, and fuel), occupational dust, or fumes. Oxygen should be titrated to improve hypoxemia, with an arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) goal of 88% to 92% in patients without complications. The first intervention usually involves increasing the dose or frequency of a currently prescribed, short-acting inhaled bronchodilator, such as the beta 2-agonist albuterol (Ventolin HFA).