Care of Patients with Common Environmental Emergencies

Flashcards covering key definitions, pathophysiology, clinical presentations, and nursing interventions for common environmental emergencies.

Tissue Integrity

The priority concept in nursing care of patients experiencing common environmental emergencies.

Heat Exhaustion

Dehydration caused by heavy perspiration and inadequate fluid and electrolyte intake over hours to days, presenting with flu-like symptoms, headache, nausea, vomiting, elevated body temperature, and weakness.

Heat Stroke

A true medical emergency characterized by body temperature exceeding $104^\circ\text{F}$ ($40^\circ\text{C}$), mental status changes, tachycardia, and tachypnea, requiring continuous cooling and oxygen therapy.

Exertional Heat Stroke

Heat stroke with a sudden onset resulting from strenuous physical activity performed in hot, humid conditions.

Non-Exertional Heat Stroke

Classic heat stroke that occurs over a period of time from chronic exposure to a hot, humid environment.

Pit Vipers

A group of North American venomous snakes that includes rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths.

Coral Snake

A venomous North American snake characterized by red, yellow, and black bands, remembered by the rule 'red on yellow kill a fellow, red on black venom lack.'

Necrotic Arachnidism

The formation of an ulcerative necrotic skin wound resulting from a brown recluse spider bite.

Loxoscelism

The systemic toxic effects and clinical syndrome resulting from a brown recluse spider bite.

Black Widow Spider Bite

Bite from a black widow spider causing neurotoxicity, abdominal pain, muscle spasms, hypertension, and potential organ failure.

Bark Scorpion Sting

Envenomation from a bark scorpion species capable of inflicting a severe, potentially fatal systemic response, unlike most scorpion species whose venom effects are self-limiting.

Anaphylaxis

A life-threatening allergic response causing respiratory distress with bronchospasm, laryngeal edema, hypotension, altered mental status, and dysrhythmias; treated immediately with intramuscular epinephrine.

Lichtenberg Figures

Red, branching keraunographic markings on the skin characteristic of a lightning strike injury.

Hypothermia

A cold-related injury defined as a core body temperature below $95^\circ\text{F}$ ($35^\circ\text{C}$).

Mild Hypothermia

Hypothermia classification with a core body temperature of $90^\circ\text{F}\text{ to }97^\circ\text{F}$ ($32^\circ\text{C}\text{ to }36^\circ\text{C}$).

Moderate Hypothermia

Hypothermia classification with a core body temperature of $82^\circ\text{F}\text{ to }90^\circ\text{F}$ ($28^\circ\text{C}\text{ to }32^\circ\text{C}$).

Severe Hypothermia

Hypothermia classification with a core body temperature below $82^\circ\text{F}$ ($<28^\circ\text{C}$).

Frostnip

A superficial cold injury causing local discomfort and redness without tissue destruction.

Frostbite

A cold injury occurring when body tissue freezes, causing tissue integrity damage ranging from hyperemia to deep tissue necrosis.

Grade 1 Frostbite

Frostbite severity level characterized by hyperemia and edema.

Grade 2 Frostbite

Frostbite severity level characterized by large, clear-to-milky fluid-filled blisters with partial-thickness skin necrosis.

Grade 3 Frostbite

Frostbite severity level characterized by small blisters containing dark fluid, with tissue that is cool, numb, blue or red, and non-blanching.

Grade 4 Frostbite

Severe frostbite level with blisters extending past the digits over carpals or tarsals, cold, bloodless, numb tissue, and necrosis extending to muscle and bone.

Thromboxane

A potent vasoconstrictor and hypertensive agent that facilitates platelet aggregation; its production is decreased by ibuprofen during clinical frostbite treatment.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

High-altitude disease presenting with a throbbing headache, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting, mimicking an alcohol-induced hangover.

High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)

Severe high-altitude illness presenting with apathy, ataxia, and mental status changes; treated with descent, oxygen, and dexamethasone.

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)

Severe high-altitude illness presenting with a persistent dry cough, lip and nail bed cyanosis, and pink frothy sputum; treated with descent, oxygen, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, or nifedipine.

Spine Stabilization in Drowning

The primary intervention required during drowning rescue for unwitnessed cases due to assumed head or neck impact from diving.

Gastric Decompression

Clinical intervention using a nasogastric or orogastric tube in drowning patients to prevent aspiration.