Patient Care Unit 1-3

What is the correct way to lift objects?

Feet apart with one foot slightly in front of the other, back straight, and bend from hips and knees

What do you not do when lifting objects?

Bend at the waist

What do you need to evaluate in the environment prior to movement?

Distance to move, obstacles, and lines (o2, IV, Foley, Chest tubes)

How do you know who is a high risk for falls?

Yellow arm band; yellow socks

Who needs to pause after sitting up?

Patients who have orthostatic hypotension or who get light headedness

Gait belt

Something reliable to support/move patients

What are the draw sheets advantages?

Readily available, already in place, low/no cost

What are the disadvantages of draw sheets?

4+ personnel, rough/bumpy ride, uneven movement (fractures)

What are the advantages to slide boards?

Low cost, reusable, easily cleaned, smooth movement over gap between stretcher and table, requires less people

What are the hover mats advantages?

Very effective, easy movements on large patients, smooth move, uniform movement, 1-2 people

What are the hover mats disadvantages?

Higher cost, more complicated

Immobilization

People, equipment, or devices to maintain the patients position; used during exam to obtain maximum diagnostic images

Restraints

Used to restrict patient’s freedom of movement (soft limb holders, vest style body holder, key lock limb holders)

Restraints MUST be ordered by who?

Physicians

Palpate

to touch/ feel

Carotid

Neck

Radial

Wrist

BPM

beats per minute

Normal resting range - INFANT

100-180 bpm

Normal resting range - CHILD

70-110 bpm

Normal resting range - ADULT

55-90 bpm

Inspiration

o2 in ; chest expands/ rises

Expiration

CO2 out ; chest contracts/ falls

Breaths per minute - INFANT

30-40

Breaths per minute - CHILD

15-30

Breaths per minute - ADULT

10-20

Normal pulse oximetry

95-99%

Hypoxic pulse oximetry

COPD pulse oximetry

90% +/-

Blood pressure

The force of blood on artery walls; arteries stretch and contract to help move blood

Systolic

When LEFT ventricle is contracting to push blood out to body

Diastolic

When LEFT ventricle is refilling

mmHg

Millimeters of mercury

Blood pressure example:

120/80

Normal blood pressure-

Hypertension (high blood pressure)-

>130 , >80

Hypotension (low blood pressure)-

Orthostatic hypotension

BP drops when patient moves to sitting or standing position

Sphygmomanometer

BP cuff (should be slightly wider (20%) than the arm/limb)

When getting someones blood pressure avoid:

Limbs with IV, arm on side of mastectomy (could cause lymphedema)

Best practice is to ask the patient….

“Which arm do they usually use to check your BP?”

Normal range of body temperature-

98 degrees (+/-)

Febrile

Having a fever

Afebrile

No fever

Hypothermia

Core < 35° C

PHI

protected health information

HAI

hospital

HCAI

healthcare

HC/HAI (nosocomial infection)

infections that patients acquire while recieving healthcare

Microorganisms

need a microscope to see them

Pathogen (germ)

microorganisms that cause disease (not all of them)

Infection

invasion by a microorganism causing disease

Disease

a disruption or disorder of body functions, systems, or organs

Communicable Disease

caused by pathogens being passed from one person to another (HIV, common cold, flu)

Non-communicable Disease

cancer, diabetes

Chain of Infection

1\.) pathogen

2\.) reservoir

3\.) exit portal

4\.) mode of transmission

5\.) portal of entry

6\.) susceptible host

Pathogens

4 major categories; bacteria, viruses, yeast/fungi, protazoa

Bacteria

many shapes (cocci-round) (bacillus-rod)

Bacterial infections can include:

strep throat, staph infection, tuberculosis, food poisoning(E. coli , salmonella)

Antibiotics are ONLY effective against…

bacteria (penicillin (PCN), Amoxicillin, Cipro, Erythromycin, Z-pack)

Antibiotics do not work on….

viruses

Viruses

inject their DNA/RNA into and take over other cells

Common viral infections:

cold, flu, HIV, hepatitis, covid-19, varicella/zoster, chicken pox/shingles

Yeast/ Fungus

most common are external

Common fungus/yeast:

athletes foot, jock itch, vaginal yeast infections, thrush (newborn mouth)

Systemic (internal) yeast/fungus infections are most common in…

Individuals with weakened immune systems (HIV, taking immuno-suppressants, chemotherapy)

Common systemic yeast/fungus infection:

HIV, taking immuno-suppressants, chemotherapy

Protozoa

little creatures

Common protozoa:

amoebic dysentery, malaria, brain-eating amoeba

Reservoir

where pathogens live and multiply (humans, animals, food and water)

Exit

open wound/ break in skin, mucus membrane, respiratory tract, GI tract

Direct transmission

droplet, direct contact (touching)

Indirect transmission

airborne, vehicle (blood, feces)

Fomite

a non-living object that transmits disease-causing pathogens (pens, charts, doorknobs)

Vector

from the bite of an insect or animal (rabies)

Portal of entry

eyes, mouth, nose, break in skin (cuts, chapped/cracked skin, needle stick)

Susceptible host

most pathogens can only infect one or a few species (host specific: avian flu-birds ; distemper- dogs)

MDRO

multi-drug resistant organism

MDRO are

BACTERIA that are no longer susceptible to one or more antibiotics

MDRO bacteria → person with a healthy immune system →

patient recovers on their own

Normal bacteria→ person with a compromised immune system → antibiotics →

patient recovers

MDRO bacteria → person with a compromised immune system → antibiotics →

infection continues/death