- What are the clinical differences between seizures and epilepsy?
Seizure is characterized by hyperexcitation of brain neurons which results into spontaneous sensory interruptions, motor activity, and at times loss of consciousness. Epilepsy on its part is a neurologic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
- Being a lifelong neurological condition, does epilepsy requires palliative or comfort care?
Epilepsy is not curable but can easily be managed. Being a lifelong condition, it requires comfort care that improves the quality of life.
- What are the comorbid conditions associated with epilepsy?
The majority of patients with epilepsy also suffer from few psychiatric or somatic comorbid conditions, whose incidence and pathophysiology depends on the patient age, sex, and socioeconomic demographics. Common comorbid conditions include cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Migraine headaches, Depression, Intellectual disabilities, and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among others.
- What are the side effects of epilepsy medications?
Constant intake of epilepsy medications is characterized with mouth ulcers, general body weakness, fever, sore throat, fatigue double vision, unsteadiness, and stomach upset.
- How are the effects of comorbid conditions managed in a hospital inpatient setting?
Comorbid conditions are managed based on their pathophysiology and characterization of whether they are psychiatric or somatic.
- Is the brain injury related to mental retardation?
Mental retardation is a chronic disability characterized by significant restrictions in regard to adaptive behavior and intellectual functioning .Trauma to the brain affects the brain neurons leading to spontaneous and reduced sensory and motor activity, whose effects leads to mental retardation.
- How does the nurse maintain a therapeutic emotional climate while appropriately dealing with mental retarded patients?
Nurses maintain a therapeutic emotional climate while appropriately dealing with mental retarded patients by actively involving the patient in the care process as well as establishing a conducive environment that makes the patients feel appreciated and cared for.
- How are the patient assessed in situations where they are unable to respond to nurses questions?
In situation where the patients are unable to respond the nurse seeks clarification from the patient’s family members, next of kin or caregivers. The nurse can also review the patient’s previous medical records and deduce a diagnosis.
- Is acute bronchitis a common diagnosis in ambulatory care medicine?
Acute bronchitis is the most common diagnosis in ambulatory care medicine, and its diagnosis is based on clinical findings and detailed confirmatory laboratory tests.
- What does acute bronchitis management entails?
Acute bronchitis is a viral infection and its management entails preventing or controlling the cough via antitussive therapy or making the cough more effective to unblock the airways via protussive therapy.
- What are the risk factors of acute bronchitis?
The risk factors of acute bronchitis includes cigarette smoke, lack of pertussis immunization exposure to irritants and air pollutants such as fumes and dust, chronic sinusitis, malnutrition ,and allergies.
- How does the nurse determine the therapy for managing bronchitis? Is antitussive therapy better compared to protussive therapy?
The therapy for managing bronchitis is determined based on the age and sex of the patient, the duration of infection, and presence of any cormobid conditions. Compared to protussive therapy, antitussive therapy is better because it adopts the use of pharmacological agents that initiates both mucolytic and inhibitory effects that minimizes the intensity and frequency of coughing characterized with bronchitis.
