Disease and s/s

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Hey there. I'm an Student Practical Nurse in training. In my course, as I'm sure in others, it is required for us to know some of the common diseases and the s/s associated with it. Now, in testing, I can identity the disease and the s/s; but for some reason, when I am asked later on about a disease, I can't remeber it's s/s. How do you guys learn and retain the information for all the diseases? (it sure is a lot!) thank you. :):):nurse:

:idea:You know Im not sure why it causes a change in behavior in older adults. Thats a great question. I looked it up and cant really find anything, just that it causes confusion not why. Hmmmm....Ill keep searching or ask at work tomm. If you hear anything let me know!!

thank you NURSEPEACE

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Specializes in Vascular Access Nurse.
thank you nursepeace. i have a question though. why would a uti cause confusion among the older adults? does this symptom also appear in younger adults as well?

well, a patient could be septic from the uti, but most often, when one of my elderly pts seems confused and we find a uti, my guess is that the pain and discomfort exacerbate the dementia they already have. i know that when i have a uti i'm absolutely miserable! the pt often doesn't want to drink, because she already has the constant urge to urinate....then she gets dehydrated...and more confused. so we check for a uti right away with mental status change, and my guess is about 75% are positive. it is amazing to watch the antibiotics kick in and the confusion or agitation diminish.

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Specializes in LTC.

You know I never thought about that. I guess I was looking to deeply into the question. That makes sense!! I know it is amazing to see them return to normal, after all the confusion :)

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Specializes in LTC.

REXIE you are right on about the confusion d/t the UTI.

Peridot girl confusion also can come from low 02 saturations, so be careful not to get the two ??? confused???:lol2:

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well, a patient could be septic from the uti, but most often, when one of my elderly pts seems confused and we find a uti, my guess is that the pain and discomfort exacerbate the dementia they already have. i know that when i have a uti i'm absolutely miserable! the pt often doesn't want to drink, because she already has the constant urge to urinate....then she gets dehydrated...and more confused. so we check for a uti right away with mental status change, and my guess is about 75% are positive. it is amazing to watch the antibiotics kick in and the confusion or agitation diminish.

you know i never thought about that. i was just looking to deeply into the question also. thank you so much. now i guess i can add confusion to the list. thanks, again! :):):):nurse:

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ok.. thank you guys. Let's try another one.... um... how about gout? I've read about that one.. but have not reviewed it in ages... what are the s/s of gout? thanx

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Specializes in Vascular Access Nurse.

Usually, it starts in a toe joint, but can affect any joint...I've seen it in fingers, thumb, knee, ankle, etc. Redness, swelling of the joint, intense pain. Uric acid levels elevated. Treat with meds and ice. Prevent with meds and dietary restrictions.

That's the best I can do off the top of my head.

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Usually, it starts in a toe joint, but can affect any joint...I've seen it in fingers, thumb, knee, ankle, etc. Redness, swelling of the joint, intense pain. Uric acid levels elevated. Treat with meds and ice. Prevent with meds and dietary restrictions.

That's the best I can do off the top of my head.

thank you soo much. I was wondering what kind of dietary restrictions for gout? Maybe a NAS ( no added salt) diet? :nurse:

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Specializes in behavioral health.

In reply to the UTI, it can be both polyuria or oliguria. I have had three UTI's in my life. One, I was totally asymptomatic. It was discovered on pre-surgical labs. Then, the other two led to sepsis. In those scenarios(sepsis, a possible result of severe UTI), I had extreme difficulty voiding while I had the urge. Abd. pain, N/V, hyperventilating, fever, chills.

It is a good idea, not to memorize. I have found by memorizing, it so easy to forget, when you are not using it consistently. Memorizing may get you by on tests, but how long will you retain that? You are definitely on the right track! Good Luck!

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Specializes in Vascular Access Nurse.

While avoiding too much salt is a good idea for most of us, it really doesn't have anything to do with gout. For those with gout, it may help to avoid a lot of meat, alcohol (especially beer), and anything else high in purines. It's a good idea to drink a lot of water to help remove the uric acid from the body.

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In reply to the UTI, it can be both polyuria or oliguria. I have had three UTI's in my life. One, I was totally asymptomatic. It was discovered on pre-surgical labs. Then, the other two led to sepsis. In those scenarios(sepsis, a possible result of severe UTI), I had extreme difficulty voiding while I had the urge. Abd. pain, N/V, hyperventilating, fever, chills.

It is a good idea, not to memorize. I have found by memorizing, it so easy to forget, when you are not using it consistently. Memorizing may get you by on tests, but how long will you retain that? You are definitely on the right track! Good Luck!

thank you for your information. Yes, it does make sense to unserstand the disease process and how it affects the body. That way s/s will come naturally... thanks! :):):):nurse:

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Ok guys. Thanks for all the info. Now let's do another disease and s/s. What about MI? I think the s/s are chest pain, back pain, neck pain, jaw pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, blurry vision, decrease pulse, and cyanosis. these are all I know. I don't know any lab values except for increase BUN levels. can anyone help??? thanx... :):):nurse:

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