About As Simple As I Can Make It

Study Guides

CONDITION	MAIN SYMPTOM	MAIN SAFETY CONCERN
AIDS	CD4 <200 AIDS defining illnesses	Infection
Leukemia	Blood dyscrasias infections	Neutropenic precautions Radiation Lowered immunity
Hodgkin’s	Reed-Sternberg cells	Radiation Neutropenic precautions
Non-Hodgkin’s		Neutropenic precautions
Lung cancer	Persistent hoarseness Blood-tinged sputum	Neutropenic precautions Radiation Chest post-op care
Colorectal cancer	Recital bleeding Ribbon-like stool	Colostomy
Breast cancer	Findings on mammogram Breast changes	Neutropenia Mastectomy post-op care
Cervical cancer	Pap smear	Radiation implants
Testicular cancer	Elevated PSA Urinary obstruction	Not manipulating prostate neutropenia
Brain tumor	Seizures IICP CSF leakage	IICP Radiation Neutropenia Surgery care

CONDITION	MAIN SYMPTOM	MAIN SAFETY CONCERN
Pneumonia	Crackles fever	ABX administration O2 administration Oxygenation
COPD	Bronchitis emphysema	Oxygenation Cor pulmonale Hypercapnia
Asthma	Wheezing	Infection Oxygenation corticosteroids
TB	Night sweats	Oxygenation ABX SE Properly obtaining sputum sample Drug-induced hepatotoxicity
Anemia	Pallor Weakness Hgb <10 HCT < 36 RBC < 4,000	Bleeding Thrombocytopenia
HTN	BP > 140/90	Stroke MI Dietary concerns Modifiable risk factors
Left-sided heart failure	S3 Signs of lung involvement	Pulmonary edema hypoxemia
Right-sided heart failure	Hepatomegaly Edema JVD	Liver function Hyponatremia Edema Diuretics
Angina	Pain relieved by rest and nitrates	MI Nitrates Statins O2 therapy
MI	Pain unrelieved by rest and nitrates	Beta blockers Thrombolytics Reduced CO Pain O2 administration Arrhythmias Cardiac failure EKG monitoring thrombolemboli

CONDITION	MAIN SYMPTOM	MAIN SAFETY CONCERN
A-Fib	No P waves	Anticoagulants CVA risk
A-Flutter	Saw-toothed P waves	cardioversion
V-tach	Wide, bizarre QRS	Progression to V-fib Reduced CO cardioversion
V-fib	Heart failure	CPR Defibrillation Arrhythmias death
Endocarditis	Damaged heart valves	ABX administration anticoagulants hemodynamic status
Venous vascular disorder	Painful ulcers edema	DVT Thrombolytics
AAA	Pulsating abdominal mass Rupture	Hypovolemic shock
Thrombophlebitis	Homan’s DVT	Positioning Antiplatelets Anticoagulants DVT prevention
GERD	Heartburn	positioning
PUD	H. pylori Occult blood	Dumping syndrome Avoiding NSAIDs GI bleeding