The Unconscious Patient - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... In the case study, Spencer had a GCS of 7/15 and did not respond to verbal commands. However, he responded centrally to painful stimuli. This score is usually associated with a state of coma. Research shows that patients with GCS scores between the range of 3 and 8 are often comatose, or are unconscious such that they cannot interact with their immediate environments. From these information, it is clear that the verbal response on the patient failed and thus some stimuli was needed to obtain a response from him. He was therefore not aware of the surroundings. The Trapezium squeeze was used to twist Spencer’s muscle so that Julia could assess his response to painful stimuli (Sternbach, 2000). I would recommend that Julia also try to observe the patient’s motor response by giving some commands such as “lift your legs from the bed”,  so that his weaknesses can be noted. In addition, inconsistent and inaccurate recordings could have a harmful effect on the patient’s comfort and may affect his care plan. I recommend that Julia or any other nurse handling the patient be educated on how to use the tool correctly so that potential irregularities could be addressed. QN.3. deteriorating changes that may occur as a result of the collapse and how the patient will respond to those changes in his GCS status The patient in this context may experience deterioration in his consciousness provided that there is an underlying problem with his brain due to head injury. When the patient loses consciousness, the tongue often fall back in his pharynx and blocks the airway. He loses the cough reflex, and regurgitated stomach contents or blood are aspirated into his lungs. The patient should therefore have his airway supported by slanting the head and lifting...
Factors that can lead to secondary brain injuries include hypercapnia, intracranial hypertension, hypotension, and hypoxia. To prevent these factors, interventions need to begin in the pre-hospital care phase and go on into the critical care unit. Recognizing these factors in the early stages as well as timely intervention can enhance the neurologic effect of the patient with brutal head injuries. One of the oral medications prescribed to treat patients with Diabetes 2 is Glyburide. conventionally used as antiglycemic medication, this drug is meant to block entrée to the sulphonylurea receptors, thus effectively drain edema, intracranial pressure, and swelling brought about by secondary brain injury; consequences that can come about in the days after the initial injury. However, research in animals indicate that glyburide is effective in preventing the adverse effects of secondary brain injury, though it works more effectively if the patient takes it prior to the second injury. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More