Chapter 36-geriatric Flashcards
(30 cards)
A generalized bone disease, commonly associated with postmenopausal women, but that can occur in either sex, in which there is a reduction in the amount of bone mass, leading to fractures after minimal trauma.
Osteoporosis
Bacteria that are normally present in the human intestines and the female reproductive tract, but which can cause infection and which are resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
Written documentation that specifies medical treatment for a competent patient should the patient become unable to make decisions; also called a living will or health care directive.
Advance directive
An infectious disease of the lung that damages lung tissue.
Pneumonia
A rapidly fatal condition in which the walls of the aorta in the abdomen weaken and blood leaks into the layers of the vessel, causing it to bulge.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
Sores caused by the pressure of skin against a surface for long periods; can range from a discoloration of the skin to a deep wound that may invade into bone or organs; also known as bedsores.
Decubitus ulcers
Black, foul-smelling, tarry stool containing digested blood.
Melena
A temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness.
Delirium
The slow onset of progressive disorientation, shortened attention span, and loss of cognitive function; this condition is generally chronic and irreversible.
Dementia
A swelling or enlargement of the wall of a blood vessel that results from weakening of the vessel wall.
Aneurysm
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Dyspnea
A group of conditions in which the nerves leaving the spinal cord are damaged, resulting in distortion of signals to or from the brain.
Neuropathy
An age-related condition of the ear that produces progressive bilateral hearing loss that is most noted at higher frequencies.
Presbycusis
A disease that causes the arteries to thicken, harden, and calcify.
Arteriosclerosis
A bacterium that can cause infections in different parts of the body and is often resistant to commonly used antibiotics; it is transmitted by different routes, including the respiratory route, and can be found on the skin, in surgical wounds, and in the bloodstream, lungs, and urinary tract.
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
The coughing up of blood
Hemoptysis
A virus that causes an infection of the lungs and breathing passages; can lead to other serious illnesses that affect the lungs or heart, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Highly contagious and spread through droplets.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
The formation of a blood clot within the larger veins of an extremity, typically following a period of prolonged immobilization.
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT)
An abrasion of the stomach or small intestine.
Peptic ulcer disease
Any action on the part of an older person’s family member, caregiver, or other associated person that takes advantage of the older person’s person, property, or emotional state.
Elder abuse
Clouding of the lens of the eye or its surrounding transparent membranes.
Cataracts
The assessment and treatment of disease in someone who is age 65 years or older.
Geriatrics
An abnormal accumulation of excess fluid in the peritoneal cavity.
Ascites
A blood clot that breaks off from a large vein and travels to the blood vessels of the lung, causing obstruction of blood flow.
Pulmonary embolism
