Geriatrics (chapter 39)

Heart attack that causes little or no chest pain

silent heart attack

chronic condition resulting in the malfunctioning of normal cerebral processes

Dementia

Long term, progressing gradually

Chronic

Abnormal curvature of the spine

Kyphosis

Disease process that causes the loss of elasticity in the vascular walls.

Arteriosclerosis

Disease characterized by an abnormal loss of bone minerals

Osteoporosis

A brief period of unconsciousness due to lack of blood flow to the brain

Syncope

Thickening of the cardiac walls without an increase in the size of the chamber

Cardiac hypertrophy

Any disease of the nerves

Neuropathy

Abnormal narrowing of a body canal, vessel, or passageway.

Stenosis

What statements related to aging is accurate

The aging body has fewer reserves with which to combat diseases and traumatic injuries.

Cardiovascular system changes associated with aging include ___________

increased systolic blood pressure due to increased vascular resistance.

Aging causes a generalized deterioration of the respiratory system. This is characterized by decreased flexibility of the rib cage, alveolar degeneration, decreased elasticity of the lung tissue and ______________

blunted sensitivity to hypoxia

What is the most significant musculoskeletal change associated with aging?

Osteoporosis

Slowing of reflexes commonly seen in the elderly is due to _________________

degeneration of nerve cells

Aging of the gastrointestinal system contributes to a variety of medical conditions, as well as _____________

malnutrition

What best describes changes related to the renal system in the elderly compared to other age groups?

it is more common for the elderly to suffer from drug toxicity if they take too much medication.

What statement is most correct related to the scene size up phase of an emergency call involving an elderly patient?

Always wear a HEPA mask when treating a nursing home patient with a cough

What is a sign of dehydration in the elderly?

The tongue appears furrowed

Geriatric patients as a group __________________

abuse alcohol more than other age groups

What statement related to the assessment or management of the geriatric patient is correct?

A resting respiratory rate of greater than 20 per minute may be normal

You are treating a 75 year old woman with an altered mental status and has no history of trauma. she should be transported ____________

lying on her side to protect her airway.

You are treating a 78 year old who fell from a ladder onto his concert patio and is complaining of back and neck pain. because of his severe kyphosis, he should be transported _________________

on a long spine board using blankets to fill the void from curvature of the spine.

Due to depressed pain perception, geriatric patients may have a silent heart attack. Rather than experiencing chest discomfort, they may more commonly complain of __________________

Weakness and fatigue

Congestive heart failure commonly occurs in older patients because the heart no longer pumps effectively and blood begins to back up into the lungs or peripheral vessels. Results may include fatigue and difficulty breathing. Treatment includes administering oxygen and expediting transport __________

in a Fowlers position (sitting up)

Your 80 year old patient suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) She is alert and complains of increasing difficulty breathing over the past few days. She denies having any pain. Emergency care for your patient would include administering oxygen to maintain an SP02 reading of 94% or greater in the patient with adequate breathing and ______________

assisting her in using a metered dosed inhaler

You are treating a 77 year old patient who is complaining of a sudden onset of difficulty breathing and chest that is localized and does not radiate. His breathing is labored at 16 per min. He has a history of heart problems and recently had surgery. Your first priority in emergency treatment is _______________

Administering oxygen to maintain SPO2 reading 94% or greater.

An altered mental status in the geriatric patient is ____________

usually a difficult condition to manage

Key treatment of a stroke includes_______________

Maintaining oxygen saturation at an SP02 reading of 94% or higher.

What statement is correct related to drug toxicity in the elderly patient?

Treatment for drug toxicity is based on treating the drugs effects

You are treating your elderly patient from a nursing facility. As you gather a history from the nurse, she states that the patient has a medical history of cardiac hypertrophy. You know this to be ______________

a thickening of the cardiac walls without any increase in atrial or ventricular chamber size, which decreases stroke volume.

A drop in the systolic blood pressure and an elevation of the heart rate when the elderly patient goes from laying to standing position is known as ______________

Orthostatic hypotension

What factors contributes to the development of environmental emergencies among the elderly?

Situational factors, such as fixed income, lead to environmental emergencies

In the elderly patient what receptors become less sensitive in detecting hypoxia or carbon dioxide levels in the blood?

Chemoreceptors

The characteristics curvature of the spine that is caused by narrowing of the vertebral disks in the elderly patient is known as __________

Kyphosis