Altered Nutrition, Ostomies, Urinary Elimination, and Mobility

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering altered nutrition, enteral and parenteral feeding, ostomy care, urinary elimination, body mechanics, and mobility.

Overnutrition

Caloric intake in excess of daily energy requirements.

Undernutrition

Insufficient intake of nutrients to meet daily metabolic demands, which can lead to protein-calorie malnutrition.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing, commonly caused by aging, nervous system diseases, developmental disabilities, and strokes; clinical signs include drooling, pocketing food in the cheeks, coughing or choking, and a delayed swallow.

Aspiration

The passage of food, liquid, or gastric secretions into the lungs, allowing bacteria to multiply and potentially causing pneumonia.

Serum Albumin

A plasma protein with a normal reference range of $3.5\text{--}5.5\,\text{g/dL}$; decreased levels indicate malabsorption or chronic malnutrition reflecting prolonged protein depletion.

Prealbumin

A sensitive biochemical indicator with a normal reference range of $23\text{--}43\,\text{mg/dL}$; decreased levels reflect acute protein depletion and early malnutrition.

Clear-Liquid Diet

A diet consisting exclusively of transparent fluids or foods that turn liquid at body temperature.

Mechanically Altered Diet

A regular diet modified in texture for patients with chewing or swallowing deficits, in which foods are chopped, ground, mashed, or soft.

Salem Sump Tube

A double-lumen nasogastric tube used for decompression and suctioning; one lumen empties gastric contents while the smaller second lumen (blue pigtail) continuously vents air to protect gastric mucosa.

Levin Tube

A single-lumen nasogastric tube without an air vent, indicated for feeding or low intermittent decompression suctioning.

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

A hypertonic intravenous nutrition solution providing dextrose, lipids, amino acids, electrolytes, vitamins, and trace elements administered exclusively via a central venous catheter or PICC line.

Refeeding Syndrome

A life-threatening fluid and electrolyte shift that occurs when enteral or parenteral nutrition is reintroduced in a severely starved or malnourished patient.

Stoma

A surgically constructed artificial opening on the abdominal wall that allows the discharge of fecal or urinary waste.

Ileostomy

A surgical diversion opening created in the small intestine; begins discharging liquid fecal drainage within $24\text{--}48\,\text{hours}$ postoperatively.

Colostomy

A surgical diversion opening created in the large intestine; begins discharging formed fecal drainage within $3\text{--}6\,\text{days}$ postoperatively.

Healthy Stoma Appearance

A viable stoma that appears pink to beefy-red and moist; pale coloration indicates anemia, while a purple-blue hue indicates tissue ischemia.

Ostomy Appliance Systems

Fecal collection systems available as either a one-piece unit (wafer and pouch permanently attached) or a two-piece unit (separate wafer flange and detachable pouch).

Low-Residue Diet

A diet recommended for the initial $6\text{--}8\,\text{weeks}$ following ostomy creation that restricts foods likely to obstruct the stoma, such as kernels, corn, seeds, nuts, coconut, and celery.

Micturition

The physiological process of emptying the urinary bladder (voiding); healthy adult renal function produces at least $30\,\text{mL/hour}$ of urine.

Anuria

A 24-hour total urine output of less than $50\,\text{mL}$.

Oliguria

A 24-hour total urine output of less than $400\,\text{mL}$.

Polyuria

An excessive output of urine, also known as diuresis.

Dysuria

Painful, difficult, or burning sensations experienced during urination.

Pyuria

The presence of pus or white blood cells ($> 10\,\text{WBCs}$) in the urine.

Glycosuria

The presence of glucose in the urine.

Post-Void Residual (PVR)

The volume of urine remaining in the bladder immediately after voiding; values $< 50\,\text{mL}$ demonstrate normal emptying, while values $> 100\,\text{mL}$ indicate incomplete bladder emptying.

Stress Incontinence

Involuntary loss of urine resulting from increased intra-abdominal pressure during coughing, sneezing, laughing, or physical exertion.

Urge Incontinence

Involuntary loss of urine occurring immediately after an intense, unstoppable desire to void.

Reflex Incontinence

Involuntary urination occurring without any sensation of bladder fullness, accompanied by absent sphincter control.

Coudé Catheter

A catheter with a curved, tapered tip designed to navigate past obstructions such as an enlarged prostate gland in male patients.

Suprapubic Catheter

A urinary drainage tube surgically placed into the bladder through an incision in the abdominal wall above the pubic symphysis.

Triple-Lumen Catheter

An indwelling urinary catheter with three channels: one for balloon inflation, one for outflow drainage, and one for continuous infusion of bladder irrigant solution.

Ileal Conduit

An incontinent urinary diversion where the ureters are implanted into an isolated loop of ileum brought out through the abdominal wall as a stoma requiring an external collection bag.

Indiana Pouch

A continent urinary diversion constructed from the cecum and terminal ileum that stores urine internally until drained by periodic self-catheterization through a stoma.

Hemodialysis

A renal replacement procedure using an external dialyzer machine to filter toxins and excess fluid directly from the blood via vascular access (AV fistula, graft, or double-lumen central catheter), typically done $3\,\text{times per week}$ for $3\text{--}5\,\text{hours}$.

Peritoneal Dialysis

A renal replacement modality where hypertonic dialysate is infused via catheter into the peritoneal cavity, utilizing the vascular peritoneal membrane for diffusion and filtration across dwell and drain phases.

Short Bones

Bones located in the wrist and ankle that contribute to movement and stability.

Abduction

Lateral movement of a body part away from the midline of the body.

Adduction

Movement of a body part toward the midline of the body.

Circumduction

Movement of a limb in a circular pattern where the distal end traces a circle while the proximal end remains stationary.

Dorsiflexion

Backward bending or upward flexion of the hand or foot toward the leg.

Plantar Flexion

Downward bending of the foot in the direction of the sole, pointing the toes toward the floor.

Joint Movements

Anatomical movements produced by skeletal muscles at synovial joints, including flexion, extension, rotation, abduction, and adduction.

Isotonic Exercise

Physical exercise involving dynamic muscle shortening and active joint movement, such as jogging, swimming, or walking.

Isometric Exercise

Muscle contraction without significant shortening of muscle fibers or movement of the joint, such as quadriceps or gluteal setting drills.

Isokinetic Exercise

Muscle contraction performed against a continuous, variable resistance at a constant speed throughout a range of motion.

Muscle Tonus

The slight, continuous resting contraction normally maintained by skeletal muscles to preserve posture and readiness.

Base of Support

The surface area on which an object or human body rests; a wider base lowers the center of gravity and increases stability.

Disuse Atrophy

A reduction in muscle mass, strength, and function resulting from prolonged inactivity or immobilization.

Ankylosis

Permanent stiffness and abnormal immobility or fixation of a joint.

Contracture

Permanent shortening and tightening of muscle and connective tissue fibers, leading to fixed joint deformities.

Trochanter Roll

A rolled towel or folded blanket positioned under the greater trochanter of the femur to prevent external rotation of the legs in a supine patient.

Sims' Position

A semi-prone lateral recumbent position where the patient lies on the side with weight distributed over the anterior ileum, humerus, and clavicle; prevents aspiration by facilitating oral drainage in unconscious clients.

Orthopneic Position

An adapted high-Fowler's position where the patient sits leaning forward over pillows on an overbed table to facilitate maximum lung expansion during respiratory distress.

Negative Nitrogen Balance

A catabolic state resulting from immobility where the amount of nitrogen excreted from broken-down muscle protein exceeds the dietary intake of protein.

Ergonomics

The practice of designing equipment and structuring work tasks to conform to the physical capabilities and limits of the human body.