Category: Fundamentals Amylase levels rise in pancreatitis, but elevations can also be seen in many other conditions, such as malignancy, trauma, burns, salivary and liver disease, cholecystitis, renal failure, HIV and pregnancy.
January 19, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Amylase levels rise in pancreatitis, but elevations can also be seen in many other conditions, such as malignancy, trauma, burns, salivary and liver disease, cholecystitis, renal failure, HIV and pregnancy.
January 18, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Laboratory diagnosis of pancreatitis is based on serum amylase and lipase levels. Amylase is an enzyme that functions in carbohydrate digestion that is produced by the pancreas and salivary glands, as well as several other organs.
January 17, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Patients with acute pancreatitis typically complain of the rapid onset of constant epigastric or left upper quadrant pain. The pain may radiate to the back or flanks, with bandlike distribution and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
January 16, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Acute pancreatitis can be classified by type, interstitial edematous versus necrotizing pancreatitis, and by local complications. Most patients have the interstitial edematous type, which usually resolves within the first week of illness.
January 15, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Acute pancreatitis begins with an initial inciting event, such as exposure to a toxin or duct obstruction by gallstones. Cellular injury disrupts normal membrane trafficking and triggers the activation of trypsinogen and other enzymes.
January 14, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals The exocrine function of the pancreas is carried out by the excretion of various digestive enzymes, such as trypsinogen. The endocrine function of the pancreas includes secretion of the regulatory hormones insulin, glucagon and somatostatin.
January 13, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals The pancreas is a retroperitoneal organ with endocrine and exocrine functions. It contains three segments that span across the abdomen. A large main pancreatic duct (duct of Wirsung) courses within the pancreas from the tail to the head.
January 12, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals There are numerous causes of acute pancreatitis. However, the most common causes in the United States are gallstones and chronic alcohol consumption. Other causes include infection, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercalcemia and tumors.
January 11, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition that occurs when enzymatic autodigestion and an inflammatory cascade result in destruction of pancreatic tissue. Presentation ranges widely from mild to sepsis and multiorgan failure.
January 10, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals The current standard of care for patients with hepatic encephalopathy is treatment with nonabsorbable disaccharides (lactulose). Lactulose decreases the absorption of ammonia through osmotic cathartic effects and by altering the colonic pH.
January 9, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals
January 8, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Removal of very large quantities of ascitic fluid can result in body fluid and electrolyte abnormalities, intravascular volume depletion and hemodynamic instability, commonly known as paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction.
January 7, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Ascites occurs as a consequence of portal hypertension, impaired hepatic lymph flow, hypoalbuminemia and renal salt retention. When severe, it can cause respiratory compromise or significant discomfort.
January 6, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals The clinical manifestations of cirrhosis are related to loss of hepatocytes, leading to metabolic and synthetic dysfunction, or to fibrosis and altered hepatic architecture, resulting in impaired portal vein blood flow and portal hypertension.
January 5, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals Cirrhosis is a generic term for end-stage chronic liver disease characterized by the destruction of hepatocytes and replacement of normal hepatic architecture with fibrotic tissue and regenerative nodules.
January 4, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals The management of alcoholic hepatitis is supportive. Fluid and electrolyte imbalances must be corrected, usually requiring parenteral fluid replacement. Alcohol may suppress gluconeogenesis, thereby causing hypoglycemia.
January 3, 2019
Nursing Tip of the Day! - Fundamentals
Category: Fundamentals The hepatitis A virus is an RNA enteroviral picornavirus. It is spread by the fecal-oral route directly or through contaminated water or food. Transmission by blood is a theoretic possibility but is exceedingly rare.
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