Pathophysiology for the dying process
Death🏷️
✨Death is manifested by cessation of breath and pulse. The typical signs and symptoms follow a characteristic pattern.
📍Brain death occurs when heart and lung function has stopped permanently. Clinical death when the heart and lungs have ceased functioning but may be reversed through cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Stages of death
- Early stage
It involves the loss of mobility, as well as a decrease in ability or desire to eat or drink. Increase in sleeping and cognitive changes such as confusion.
- Middle stage
This consists of continued decline in the client's mental status with only brief periods of wakefulness. Pooling of secretions and noisy respirations may be noted and are sometimes called the death rattle.
- Late stage
This may consist of the client having dyspnea with periods of apnea, mottling of the skin, and fever. Clients proceed through these stages at different rates.
Palliative Care
💖Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on improving quality of life for people with serious illnesses by preventing and relieving pain, symptoms, and emotional, social, and spiritual distress — alongside curative or life-prolonging treatment.
Goal of Palliative care
- Improving quality of life
- Relief of suffering
Palliative care entails a Interdisciplinary team approach provided by multiple professionals, not just a nurse or doctor.
📍The core focus of this care is relief of distressing symptoms such as dyspnea and pain.
Hospice Care
🥀This involves care of an individual who cannot be cured or chooses not to be treated.
Practice Questions
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client about taking high doses of oral glucocorticoids for over ten years to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?
Answer Choices:
A. Monitor for compression fractures of the back and neck.✓ Correct Answer
B. Glucocorticoids will boost immunity.
C. Plan to check blood glucose levels for hypoglycemia once each year.
D. Limit the intake of calcium rich foods while taking the medication.
Discussion