Dear Nurses

Thursday, July 20, 2006

PROLAPSED CORD


Prolapse of the umbilical cord during pregnancy may be a complication of breech births.
The fetus is in obvious danger of suffocation from lack of oxygen.The mother should be
 placed in a knee-chest position and hips and legs elevated on a pillow.

Attempts to prevent cord compression by pushing the fetus back in, may be done by trained personnel.  Emergency C-section may become necessary.

 Updated 3/23 , there are many helpful maternal topics throughout this blog. In addition,
 you may also click on the link:
and enjoy learning.

PRETERM LABOR


Preterm labor is a very common occorence in pregnancy.All its causes are not clearly understood. It may be triggered by events such as stress, trauma, infection or heavy lifting . Signs and symptoms include premature contractions, abdominal cramping, low back pain and vaginal bleeding . Patients should be encouraged to go to their doctor or ER if necessary. Close monitoring of the patient and medications such as Calcium channel blockers, antibiotic therapy to prevent infection, Magnesium sulfate and Prostaglandins are used in treating this condition.
FOR AN UPDATE AND MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC, PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK:http://www.dearnurses.net.
(CHAPTERS 5 AND 7 -ABRUPTIO PLACENTA).
Also read Simplifying Maternal Nursing Parts 1-8 and Index

SICKLING CRISIS


Sickle cell anemia is a form of anemia common to certain peoples in areas of the world, eg., Africa, Caribbean and Mediterranean. The red blood cells are not rounded, but have a sickle shape. Red blood cells carry oxygen and in sickle cell anemia, their ability is limited. In a crisis, the cells clump and occlude the veins, not arteries as these have high pressure.


Conditions such as anxiety , dehydration, infection or trauma may trigger a sickling crisis. Difficulty breathing and excruciating pain are symptoms of a crisis. Treatment is directed at giving oxygen, monitoring vital signs and correcting the cause. Magnesium Sulfate is also used to treat this condition.
For more helpful information on this topic, simply click on the link:

SICKLING CRISIS


Sickle cell anemia is a form of anemia common to certain peoples in areas of the world, eg., Africa,Caribbean and Mediterranean. The red blood cells are not rounded, but have a sickle shape. Red blood cells carry oxygen and in sickle cell anemia, their ability is limited.In a crisis, the cells clump and occlude the veins, not arteries as these have high pressure.

Conditions such as anxiety , dehydration, infection or trauma may trigger a sickling crisis. Difficulty breathing and excruciating pain are symptoms of a crisis. Treatment is directed at giving oxygen, monitoring vital signs and correcting the cause. Magnesium Sulfate is also used to treat this condition.
For more helpful information on this topic, simply click on the link:

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

 Updated 3/24
Dear nurses,

The information below has been updated. Just click on the new links ,
for more information:




DIC is a hemorrhagic syndrome. There is an obvious disturbance in the clotting mechanism in the blood. Platelets and fibrin have lost their ability to clot. Internal hemorrhage occurs and a serious continuation of bleeding throughout the body begins.The liver is also involved in clotting.


Treatment is directed at correcting the clotting factors involved. Blood transfusion may be necessary. Hemodynamic monitoring is necessary. DIC is sometimes brought on secondary to other medical conditions eg.trauma, sepsis, abruptio placenta, renal failure and more.

Monday, July 17, 2006

PRE-ECLAMPSIA / ECLAMPSIA


*Eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy.It is known as toxemia of pregnancy
and in the pre-eclmptic phase is characterized by severe headache , nausea, vomiting ,high blood pressure and proteinuria.The pregnant woman may have seizures and ultimately become comatose.
Measures to avoid Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia ( Sessions 15) include Magnesium Sulfate infusions. The mother should be closely monitored for signs and sympoms of central nervous system and respiratory depression. Lethargy and a decrease in tendon reflexes are noted if too much Magnesium is infused. ICU monitoring is usually necessary.
* Chapter 3

AN UPDATE WITH MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSED BY CLICKING ON THE LINK: THE CLINICAL SETTING STEP BY STEP, chapter3.

PLACENTA PREVIA

7/23 Updated below

The placenta or afterbirth develops in the uterus during pregnancy. If the placenta
develops in the bottom of the uterus, it blocks the cervix ( neck of the uterus) and
will ultimately make vaginal delivery impossible.
Ultrasound will confirm this. The mother and baby are closely monitored and
possible C-section will be needed for delivery.
7/23
Please click on the link below, for more topics of interest.

UTERINE RUPTURE


Uterine rupture is caused by a tear in the wall of the uterus at the site of a previous C- section . This is usually the case in up to ninety percent of tears. Complete rupture will cause:
- a tear through the entire uterine wall, resulting in heavy bleeding in the abdominal cavity and vaginally
- signs and symptoms of shock(SESSIONS 9 - Hypovolemic Shock)
-abdominal pain and sometimes referred chest pain.
Hypovolemic shock may result if there is significant blood loss.  

Updated 3/24
Please click on the links below for more updated information:


Enjoy learning !

Abruptio placenta


The placenta is a very vascular organ that develops in the uterus of a woman during pregnancy. It is attached to the fetus by the umbilical cord and provides nourishment and oxygen to the growing fetus.When it suddeny becomes detached from the uterus either by trauma or unknown cause it is called placenta abruptio. Heavy vaginal bleeding , abdominal cramping and signs and symptoms of shock may be present.
Updated 7/23
For more updated topics, please click on the link below:

HEART WORK

Updated 7/23
The heart  is a small organ with a lot of  work to do.
It is the core of the circulatory system.

Learn more by clicking on the links below:
Chest pain assessment and also enjoy the video
Hemodynamic Monitoring


DEHYDRATION


Updated 7/23

Dear nurses,
I know it has been a while since my last update.Yes, it is summer and the weather has been extremely hot. Dehydration is a common problem of all age groups. Drink plenty of water. Remember , your body also needs minerals, so try to incorporate some fruit juices , fruits or mineral waters to replace electrolytes. 
Please click on the links below for more information.
Bydesign
Enjoy learning!
God bless!