Chapter 18 - Hartman's Nursing Assistant Care: Long-Term Care 4th Edition

acute illness

an illness that has rapid onset, is usually short-term, and is treated immediately.

chronic illness

a disease or condition that is long-term or long-lasting and requires management of symptoms.

scabies

a contagious skin infection caused by a tiny mite burrowing into the skin, where it lays eggs; causes intense itching and a skin rash that may look like thin burrow tracks.

shingles

a skin rash caused by the varicella- zoster virus (VZV) that causes pain, tingling, itching, and a rash of fluid-filled blisters.

wound

a type of injury to the skin.

dermatitis

an inflammation of the skin causing swollen, reddened, irritated, and itchy skin.

inflammation

swelling.

arthritis

a general term that refers to inflammation of the joints, causing stiffness, pain, and decreased mobility.

autoimmune illness

an illness in which the body's immune system attacks normal tissue in the body.

osteoarthritis

a common type of arthritis that usually affects the hips, knees, fingers, thumbs, and spine; also called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis.

rheumatoid arthritis

a type of arthritis in which joints become red, swollen, and very painful, resulting in restricted movement and possible deformities.

osteoporosis

a condition in which bones become porous and brittle, causing them to break easily.

closed fracture

a broken bone that does not break the skin.

open fracture

a broken bone that penetrates the skin; also known as compound fracture.

partial weight-bearing (PWB)

a doctor's order stating that a person is able to support some body weight on one or both legs.

non-weight-bearing (NWB)

a doctor's order stating that a person is unable to touch the floor or support any body weight on one or both legs.

full weight-bearing (FWB)

a doctor's order stating that a person has the ability to support full body weight (100%) on both legs.

prosthesis

a device that replaces a body part that is missing or deformed because of an accident, injury, illness, or birth defect; used to improve a person's ability to function and/or to improve appearance.

muscular dystrophy (MD)

a progressive, inherited disease that causes a gradual wasting away of muscle, weakness, and deformity.

amputation

the surgical removal of some or all of a body part, usually a hand, arm, leg, or foot.

phantom sensation

warmth, itching, or tingling from a body part that has been amputated.

phantom limb pain

pain in a limb (or extremity) that has been amputated.

complementary medicine

treatments that are used in addition to the conventional treatments prescribed by a doctor.

alternative medicine

practices and treatments used instead of conventional healthcare methods.

Parkinson's disease

a progressive, incurable disease that causes a section of the brain to degenerate; causes stiff muscles, stooped posture, shuffling gait, pill-rolling, and tremors.

multiple sclerosis (MS)

a progressive disease in which the myelin sheath breaks down over time; without this protective covering, nerves cannot conduct impulses to and from the brain in a normal way.

paraplegia

the loss of function of the lower body and legs.

quadriplegia

the loss of function in the legs, trunk, and arms.

epilepsy

a brain disorder that results from a disruption in normal electrical impulses in the brain, which causes repeated seizures.

cataract

a condition in which cloudy spots develop in the lens of the eye, causing vision loss.

glaucoma

a disease in which increased pressure inside the eye causes damage that often leads to vision loss and blindness.

diabetic retinopathy

a complication of diabetes caused by damage to the retina; causes spots, blurred vision, and difficulty seeing well at night and may lead to blindness.

age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

a condition in which the macula gradually deteriorates, causing vision loss and problems such as the inability to recognize faces, drive, read, and write.

hypertension

high blood pressure, regularly measuring 140/90 mm Hg or higher.

atherosclerosis

a hardening and narrowing of the blood vessels.

angina pectoris

chest pain, pressure, or discomfort.

nitroglycerin

a medication that helps to relax the walls of the coronary arteries, allowing them to open and get more blood to the heart; comes in tablet, patch, or spray form.

myocardial infarction (MI)

a condition that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen because blood flow to the heart is blocked; also called heart attack.

congestive heart failure (CHF)

a condition in which the heart muscle is damaged and is no longer able to pump effectively.

peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

a disease in which the legs, feet, arms, or hands do not have enough blood circulation due to fatty deposits in the blood vessels that harden over time; causes cold legs, feet, arms, and hands, as well as pain, swelling, and ulcers of the legs and feet.

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

a chronic, progressive, and incurable lung disease that causes difficulty breathing, weakness, and a high risk for lung infections.

bronchitis

an irritation and inflammation of the lining of the bronchi.

emphysema

a chronic disease of the lungs that usually results from chronic bronchitis and cigarette smoking.

pneumonia

a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that causes acute inflammation in lung tissue, causing fever, chills, cough, greenish sputum, chest pains, and rapid pulse.

asthma

a chronic inflammatory disease that causes difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.

bronchiectasis

a condition in which the bronchial tubes are abnormally enlarged, causing chronic coughing, thick sputum, recurrent pneumonia, and weight loss.

upper respiratory infection (URI)

a viral or bacterial infection of the nose, sinuses, and throat causing nasal discharge, sore throat, fever and fatigue.

lung cancer

the growth of abnormal cells or tumors in the lungs.

tuberculosis (TB)

a highly contagious lung disease that causes fatigue, loss of appetite, slight fever, prolonged coughing, and shortness of breath.

diabetes

a condition in which the pancreas produces too little insulin or does not properly use insulin.

insulin

a hormone that works to move glucose from the blood and into the cells for energy for the body.

glucose

natural sugar.

type 1 diabetes

a type of diabetes in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin; is usually diagnosed in children and young adults and will continue throughout a person's life.

type 2 diabetes

a common form of diabetes in which either the body does not produce enough insulin or the body fails to properly use insulin; typically develops after age 35 and is the milder form of diabetes.

pre-diabetes

a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are above normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

gestational diabetes

a type of diabetes that appears in pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high glucose levels during pregnancy.

hyperthyroidism

a condition in which the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone, causing body processes to speed up, resulting in rapid heartbeat, sweating, weight loss, and nervousness.

hypothyroidism

a condition in which the body lacks thyroid hormone, causing the body processes to slow down and resulting in fatigue, weight gain, constipation, and intolerance to cold.

sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

infections caused by sexual contact with infected people; signs and symptoms are not always apparent.

chlamydia

a type of sexually transmitted infection that is caused by organisms introduced into the mucous membranes of the reproductive tract; causes yellow or white discharge from the penis or vagina, burning during urination, swollen testes, painful intercourse, and abdominal and lower back pain.

syphilis

a type of sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria; causes open sores on the penis or inside the vagina, as well as headache, fever, weight loss, and muscle aches.

chancres

open sores.

gonorrhea

a type of sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria; signs include white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis, swollen testes, burning during urination, cloudy vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding between periods, and rectal itching and soreness.

genital herpes

an incurable type of sexually transmitted infection that is caused by a virus; causes painful sores on the genitals.

genital HPV infection

a type of sexually transmitted infection caused by human papillomavirus; may cause genital warts and an abnormal pap test, and can lead to cervical cancer.

benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)

a disorder that can occur in men as they age, in which the prostate becomes enlarged and causes problems with urination.

vaginitis

an inflammation of the vagina that may be caused by bacteria, protozoa, or a fungus.

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

the final stage of HIV infection, in which infections, tumors, and central nervous system symptoms appear due to a weakened immune system that is unable to fight infection.

AIDS dementia complex

a group of symptoms including memory loss, poor coordination, paralysis, and confusion that occurs in the late stages of AIDS due to damage to the central nervous system.

Kaposi's sarcoma

a rare form of skin cancer that appears as purple, red, or brown skin lesions.

opportunistic infections

infections that invade the body when the immune system is weak and unable to defend itself.

neuropathy

numbness, tingling, and pain in the feet and legs.

cancer

general term to describe a disease in which abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way.

tumor

a cluster of abnormally growing cells.

benign tumors

tumors that are considered noncancerous.

malignant tumors

tumors that are cancerous.

mastectomy

the surgical removal of all or part of the breast and sometimes other surrounding tissue.