Potential Complications (list of)

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Can anyone recommend a website or book that lists potential complications as they relate to Nursing Diagnosis?

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I'm not sure I understand what you are looking for. Use an example. If the nursing diagnosis is Impaired Physical Mobility what are you looking for complications of? By definition, the symptoms of Impaired Physical Mobility are the patient's responses to limitations in physical movement. What would be a complication of that? Help me understand what you are needing to find.

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Basically a list of potential complications as they relate to each system. For instance, for GI, if the nursing diagnosis was constipation, what would the complications be from that (say impaction or obstruction)? Does that help you better understand? Sorry if I confused you. I know that some complications are very obvious but I'm a new student in Level I and I'm looking for something to refer to. Thank you.

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Get a nursing diagnosis handbook. There are many to choose from but they will help you out tremendously-that and you'll definitely need one eventually in school. I use Ackley and Ladewig but there are so many others. This way, if you get one now, you'll have to time to study it and become familiar with it. Once you become familiar with them, it'll all come so quickly.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I understand what you are getting at a little better, but Constipation is also a medical condition and an impaction and obstruction are medical conditions as well. Impaired Physical Mobility is also a nursing diagnosis and the only nursing complications I can think of for it are sprains, strains and broken bones.

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Hello to anyone else working on this holiday weekend. I too would like to see if anyone here knows where to find a list of potential complications. My new clinicals teacher mentioned that she wants them used along with our RN Dx's in our Maslow's form that is due this Tuesday. She thought there would be a list in the front or back of RN Dx books, but I personally have 4 of them, and none of them have such a listing anywhere. :uhoh3: Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!:heartbeat

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One Nursing diagnosis book that offers Potential complications author is Lynda Juall Carpenito-Moyet. AKA Carpenito.

However, one way to think this through to connect potential complication to your nursing diagnosis is to think about your nursing diagnosis and your patient. for example if you have ineffective airway clearance or impaired gas exchange what is going to happen if you do not intervene and help this patient?? most likely hypoxia or even respiratory failure. Another way to figure out potential complications is to consider your patients medical diagnosis and look in your medical surgical book and look for the complications listed that could occur with the medical diagnosis... Diabetes has several complications besides hyper and hypoglycemia. usually the post operative surgical patient has a lot of potential complications check your post op chapter of your books Potter and Perry has a great list of complications dealing with immobility such as pneumonia, UTI, DVT... what could happen if the DVT becomes an embolism? What could happen if your patient has a fluid volume deficit not treated? Just think about it a little deeper and use your books and resources they should have some lists of complications I hope this helps...:o

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You are my savior! That is a great explanation, better then anything I've yet to find!! My fellow student and I have been trying to wrap our heads around this and I now think we will be able to get this done and turned in on time. THANK YOU!!!! :hpygrp:

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Do you mean the "related to" aspect? Like Constipated RT decreased fluids... A book that gives these options?

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I do not know of a book that gives these options but you are on the right track. Think of high risk populations, medical HX, treatments for example medications, opioid, chemotherapy, diuretics the side effects like respiratory depression. Another thing to consider is signs and symptoms for example Dehydration r/t N/V diarrhea for days or electrolyte imbalances r/t n/v or ^NGT out put

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