Ames coolvibeman

Hi all, I'm just struggling to get my head around the fact the you would give a patient with DKA more glucose in a GIK infusion seeing as there already hyperglycemic. This seems like a contraindiction to me, but i was researching it and it appears the rationale is to prevent hypoglycemia once the blood glucose level begins to return to normal. Is this correct? The reason i ask is, I'm on clinical placement at the moment and just before shift change a patient came in with DKA and was started on a GIK infusion, but i didn't get a chance to ask my preceptor about the glucose factor and thought it was quite interesting. I completley understand the insulin and potassium part, it's just the glucose part i don't understand. I'm just curious that's all. Any info would be great, even any tit-bits actually Thanks in advance.

Greetings all, I just had a lecture regarding sepsis and its associates (so to speak) and it was over quite quickly and it left me, I must say rather confused! So I was doing my own research/study and this is how I understand it. Septicaemia: Presence of pathogens in the blood stream-hence blood poisoning or could be termed as bacteraemia? In the lecture they explained it as the process in which the body moves from a local to systemic infection? But I don't see how that fits? Sepsis: is the body's systemic inflammatory response to severe infection. Severe sepsis: sepsis that causes organs to malfunction and blood flow to become inadequate to parts of the body. Septic shock: presence of sepsis with severe hypotension despite having fluid resuscitation. Also inadequate tissue perfusion leading to tissue hypoxia and likely death? BUT what causes the hypotension? Must be the inadequate flow of blood? But where does the fluid go? Thanks in advance. Amy

That is the whole question apparently! We have to work out the drip rate. HA this is probably why I am so confused on this one

Hi all, I seem to be in need of assistance with a particular IV calculation. 0.9% of NACL 1000mls is to be infuse over 10 hours. Apparently the answer is 33.3 but I just can't seem to get there! I assumed it was rate=volume/time so 1000/10=100, but then during class I wrote down 60/1 then 100/3 but cannot at this stage figure out where the 3 even came from. Am I even using the right formula? Even a quick nudge in the right direction would be great Thanks!

Hi all, I have confused myself and this is probably a silly question, but i'm currently studying pneumonia and could someone please explain why you would assess the sputum, what would the colour tell you about the infection. My understanding so far is it's to indicate how bad the infection is, if there is any blood present, and if it is getting any worse? I know a sptum spec is taken to aid the doctors in what the pathogen might be and therefore a treatment plan. I also understand rust coloured is associated with pneumonia. But any help with this would be GREAT! Thanks very much. -Amy :)

Hi all, During clinicals whenever clients that i know or have worked with are discharged, i feel quite emotional, i'm really happy for them, but at the same time i think 'i'll never see these people again in my life', i feel although i get attached too easily and this will become a problem in my future career and staying in a place of work. Does anyone else have this problem or am i just overly sensitive and need to grow a thicker skin!? Thanks! from a 4th semester student in NZ.

Hi all, so currently i'm writing a pathophysiology assignment on pneumonia, and i'm stuck on the four stages of it (Congestion, red hepatisation, grey hepatisation and resolution). In particular how the sign/symptoms of these 4 stages present in the patient/client. I understand the signs/symptoms but i cannot find anything that tells me how the signs/symptoms are presented in each of the stages in the patient/client. In the assignment we are to pick 3 signs/symptoms, 3 nursing assessments and 3 interventions all with pathophysiological rationale. My 3 signs/symptoms are dyspnea, productive cough, and high fever. Now at the beginning of the assignment we have to explain the pathophysiology of the condition and this is what i am stuck on. Hope this made sense, any help would be fabby mouse. Thanks anyone and everyone! -Amy