Exam 1 Review - Nursing Concepts & Disorders

Vocabulary flashcards covering pain assessment, musculoskeletal disorders, age-related vision and hearing changes, eye/ear disorders, and care management for older adults based on lecture notes.

LOCSTAMM

A mnemonic for pain assessment parameters: Location, Onset/duration, Characteristics, Severity, Timing, Aggravating factors, Alleviating factors, and Meaning.

Osteoporosis

A musculoskeletal disorder caused by degenerative disease of the bone mass or matrix, resulting in decreased bone strength and an increased susceptibility to fractures.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A condition in which the median nerve is compressed, commonly caused by repetitive hand motions.

Positive Tinel Sign

A nursing assessment finding for carpal tunnel syndrome where tapping over the median nerve causes tingling.

Phalen's Sign

A nursing test for carpal tunnel syndrome where pushing the backs of the hands together is positive if it produces numbness, tingling, or pain.

Osteoarthritis

A degenerative joint disorder characterized by pain, stiffness, functional impairment, pain that increases with movement, and crepitus.

Crepitus

A pop-corny sound or sensation caused by joints rubbing together, commonly found in osteoarthritis.

Compartment Syndrome

A painful condition resulting from blood accumulation in an enclosed space that can lead to muscle damage, nerve damage, or death.

The 6 P's of Neurovascular Assessment

The six signs checked during neurovascular assessment: Pain, Pallor, Paresthesia, Poikilothermic, Pulselessness, and Paralysis.

Paresthesia

A neurovascular symptom characterized by a 'pins and needles' sensation.

Poikilothermia

A change or drop in temperature of an affected body region, assessed as one of the 6 P's.

Skeletal Traction

A treatment using a pulling force to promote and maintain alignment of an injured body part, where weights must hang freely without resting on the bed or floor.

External Fixator

A device involving surgical insertion of pins into bone attached to an external frame to hold proper bone alignment.

Presbyopia

An age-related vision change causing an individual to hold reading material further away.

Retinal Detachment

An urgent, vision-threatening emergency characterized by painless, sudden onset of floaters, flashing lights, or a dark curtain over part of vision in one eye.

Cataract

A condition causing gradual, painless, bilateral vision loss, cloudy/blurred vision, and glare sensitivity as the ocular lens becomes cloudy or white.

Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

An eye disorder marked by gradual, quiet progression where increased pressure damages the optic nerve, primarily affecting peripheral vision.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

A progressive, incurable vision disorder characterized by a black spot in the center of vision while peripheral vision remains intact.

Presbycusis

An age-related hearing change characterized by difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by a problem in the outer or middle ear that prevents sound from being transmitted normally.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve.

Tinnitus

A symptom described as ringing, buzzing, roaring, or hissing in the ear, which is not a normal sign of aging.

Nystagmus

Rapid, involuntary, rhythmic eye movements observed as a physical sign in vestibular disorders, vertigo, and Meniere's disease.

Meniere's Disease

An inner ear condition caused by excess fluid and pressure, presenting with a triad of tinnitus, nystagmus, and vertigo, along with episodic nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, and ear pressure.

Otitis Externa

Inflammation or infection of the external ear canal causing pain with jaw movement, itching, purulent drainage, and temporary hearing reduction.

Otitis Media

An infection causing inflammation or purulent fluid accumulation in the middle ear, often following an upper respiratory infection (URI).

Polypharmacy

The regular use of 5 or more medications in older adult patients, which is associated with poor clinical outcomes.

Delirium

An acute, sudden, fluctuating, short-term, and reversible state of impaired disorientation often triggered by acute illness, hospitalization, or infection.

Dementia

A gradual, progressive, long-term, and irreversible cognitive decline seen in conditions such as Alzheimer's, vascular damage, or Lewy body disease.