Assessing Fall Risk and Reducing Falls in the Elderly More than one in four American adults 65 years of age and older have reported falling and one in five sustain a severe fall-related injury, including fractures and traumatic brain injuries (CDC, 2021). Falls account for 56% of injury-related...

Assessment and Diagnosis of Heart Failure Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome resulting from any structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood. Heart failure symptoms include those related to fluid retention, such as leg swelling...

Atropine Sulfate Atropine is an anticholinergic drug. Atropine blocks the action of acetylcholine at parasympathetic sites in smooth muscle, secretory glands, and the central nervous system, which leads to increased cardiac output and dries secretions. It is a...

Cardiovascular Assessment Focused cardiovascular assessment begins with taking a health history. While doing so, observe carefully for signs of inadequate perfusion or circulation, such as cyanosis, skin changes, dyspnea, or edema. Order of examination is performed as...

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used for both cardiac and pulmonary failure when conventional measures (i.e., mechanical ventilation, intraaortic balloon pump) are inadequate to support life. While not a cure for the underlying...

General Assessment Focused general assessment begins with taking a health history regarding constitutional symptoms. This examination involves a general survey of the patient, measurement of vital signs, and pain assessment.Optimal Patient PositioningExamine the...

Heart Failure: Guideline-Directed Management and Therapy Guideline-Directed Management and Therapy (GDMT) was developed by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association to define the optimal course of treatment for patients in each stage of heart failure (HF) (Heidenreich, et al...

Hemodynamic Monitoring Hemodynamic monitoring is a mainstay in the care of critically ill patients and remains a valuable adjunct to physical examination and diagnostics in the assessment, diagnosis, and management of shock (Rali, et al., 2022). It involves using...

IV Fluids IV fluids are utilized for resuscitation, to replace fluid losses, and for maintenance hydration in patients who are not able or not allowed to drink water. Like all prescribed medications, IV fluids have benefits and risks. Fluid therapy should...

Myocardial Infarction Myocardial infarction (MI) is defined as a clinical (or pathologic) event in the setting of myocardial ischemia in which there is evidence of myocardial injury (Anderson, Morrow, 2017; Thygesen, Alpert & Jaffe, 2018). The diagnosis is made...

Neurovascular Assessment Neurovascular assessment is performed when there is a suspicion of compromised blood flow or nerve damage, to detect early signs and symptoms of acute ischemia or compartment syndrome. Examples of injuries or procedures that place patients at risk...

Recognizing and Managing Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening systemic allergic reaction, typically rapid in onset with airway, breathing, or circulatory problems, and usually but not always, associated with skin and mucosal changes (Cardona et al., 2020). The goal...