Pathophysiology of Dementia!! Help!

[juniorminty]

Ok, my pt this week at clinicals was diagnosed with 'altered mental status' for a number of reasons (bipolar, dementia, possible schizophrenia etc) My instructor suggested I go with dementia for my overall pathophysiology for my paperwork. She told me altered mental status was too broad and would be incredibly difficult to do and I would end up with too much information to 'swim through'. My pt has had many strokes/ischemia of the brain so I was able to narrow it down to possible multi-infarct dementia/vascular dementia. I have found some on the patho for dementia, but we also have to dicuss the normal functioning of the organ/system that is effected by dementia. Obviously it is the brain and more specifically cognitive function but I am not sure how to talk about that. Cognitive function isn't exactly a system and if I was to do the normal physiology of the brain, I'd be writing for days. (I should mention the page will do for the normal and abnormal is just one page and you write both items on the same page, not a lot of room for being lengthy).

Despite my instructor's suggestion of doing dementia, I still feel like I am swimming through a lot of information. We haven't even covered mental function/disorders yet so I feel like I am going at this blindly. I am actually very good at clinical paperwork and usually breeze through it but this one has definitely got me stuck. ANY help would be so greatly appreciated!!!

[unionnurse12]

I have my patho books out trying to help you but can you give me the short version of what you are needing help with so i can give ya my:twocents:

thanks

[juniorminty]

Basically I have to write a short blip about how dementia effects the brain and how then a short blip about how the brain functions normally

[bloodlikefire]

ok, my pt this week at clinicals was diagnosed with 'altered mental status' for a number of reasons (bipolar, dementia, possible schizophrenia etc) my instructor suggested i go with dementia for my overall pathophysiology for my paperwork. she told me altered mental status was too broad and would be incredibly difficult to do and i would end up with too much information to 'swim through'. my pt has had many strokes/ischemia of the brain so i was able to narrow it down to possible multi-infarct dementia/vascular dementia. i have found some on the patho for dementia, but we also have to dicuss the normal functioning of the organ/system that is effected by dementia. obviously it is the brain and more specifically cognitive function but i am not sure how to talk about that. cognitive function isn't exactly a system and if i was to do the normal physiology of the brain, i'd be writing for days. (i should mention the page will do for the normal and abnormal is just one page and you write both items on the same page, not a lot of room for being lengthy).

despite my instructor's suggestion of doing dementia, i still feel like i am swimming through a lot of information. we haven't even covered mental function/disorders yet so i feel like i am going at this blindly. i am actually very good at clinical paperwork and usually breeze through it but this one has definitely got me stuck. any help would be so greatly appreciated!!!

with the highlighted section, i think his problems are more closely related to organic brain damage, non-specific. all the damage to his brain is causing the other underlying conditions. organic brain damage is like a paragraph in my pathophysiology book, it should take you no time to find the section and digest the information.

good luck in writing your care plans.