Diagnostic tests Flashcards
CT scan:
T or F?
CT scan can be with or without contrast.
since they’ll use contrast media, make sure the patient is not allergic to___
C.T scan takes pictures in slices. it produces___ images of the body. in this procedure, the patient must stay still and not talk.
T!
shellfish
cross sectional
MRI:
Why is MRI better than a CT scan?
is dye used?
is radiation used?
remove___
no__ cards
no___
Do fillings in the teeth matter?
what kind of noise will they hear?
what type of patient cannot tolerate this procedure?
- it picks up on pathology earlier
- not usually
- no; a magnet is used
- jewelry
- credit
- pacemakers
- NO!
- a thumping sound; tell them about the sound ahead of time so their anxiety can be alleviated. Also tell them they can tallk and hear others while they’re in the tube.
- claustrophobic patients
CEREBRAL ANGIOGRAPHY or ARTERIOGRAPHY:
what is it?
do they use dye?
Which artery do they go through?
pre-procedure:
what do we first want to check?
Why do we want to hydrate the patient really well pre-procedure?
In order to decrease anxiety, what will you tell the patient first?
allergies?
post procedure:
what are some complications since we are injecting due into the brain?
- an xray of cerebral circulation
- yes
- femoral
- hydration status (pee first), check and locate peripheral pulses, and prep groin
- so they can pee the dye out afterwards
- they’ll feel warmth in the face and a metallic taste
- shellfish
- change in LOC, 1 sided weakness and paralysis, and motor/sensory deficits.
when you hear “angiography” think___
dye going through an artery
MYELOGRAM or MYELOGRAPHY:
What is it?
does it use dye?
Are we getting into spinal fluid?
To decrease anxiety, what should you tell the patient?
Since 2 kinds of dye can be used. Water or oil. why would the oil based dye need to be aspirated out?
Because we went into the CSF space, we NEED to watch for what S/S?
- Xray of the subarachnoid space ( X-rays or computed tomography (CT) to look for problems in the spinal canal, including the spinal cord, nerve roots, and other tissues.)
- yes
- yes
- dye is injected, and the table tilts to move the dye around (upside down).
- it cannot be excreted through the kidneys
- meningitis
When it comes to nursing care of a patient who got injected with dye. the main thing we have to do is__
increase fluids to flush it out
S/S
for any type of meningitis you come in contact with. what do we wanna do with the environment?
- chills
- fever
- poz kernig
- poz brudzinski
- vomiting
- nucchal rigidity (stiff neck)
- photophobia
lower environmental stimuli.
EEG or electroencephalogram:
what is it?
helps diagnost what kind of disorder?
it’s used as a screening procedure for___
it is often used as an indicator of brain___
before the procedure, why do we not want to give this patient a sedative?
why can’t they have caffeine?
Why do you not make them NPO before the procedure?
*during the procedure, they’ll do a baseline reading when the patient is lying quietly and flat. after that, they’ll try and increase environmental stimuli to get some kind of response*
-An electroencephalogram (EEG)
is a test used to detect abnormalities related to electrical activity of the brain. This procedure tracks and records brain wave patterns. Small metal discs with thin wires (electrodes) are placed on the scalp, and then send signals to a computer to record the results.
- seizure disorders
- coma
- brain death
- we don’t want to slow the brain’s electrical activity
- it will increase brain electrical activity
- the blood sugar will drop
LUMBAR PUNCTURE:
what is the purpose of a lumbar puncture?
where is the puncture site in the lumbar?
how is the patient position for a lumbar puncture?
why is it important for the patient to be held still?
what should the CSF look like?
after the procedure, how should they be positioned?
for how long should they stay in that postion?
and increase___ what is the most common complication?
what is a blood patch? what is a fatal complication?
- to obtain spinal fluid, check for blood pressure, measure pressures, to give “intrathecally” drugs
- 3rd & 4th lumbar subarachnoid space
- lye on side in the fetal position, or sit and lean on bedside table (we want a lot of arch to the back. we’re tightening up the meninges and the needle will be able to go in a lot easier)
- we don’t want any damage done
- clear and colorless
- flat for 8 hours; fluids
- headache (this headache increases when the patient sits up and decreases when they lie down)
- used to treat the headache after lumbar puncture. blood is taken from the arm or another site and is injected in the puncture hole to form a patch.
- herniation (when the brain is pulled down into the foramen magnum due to a sudden drop in ICP) it’s a fatal complication. if a patient has increased ICP, they don’t do the lumbar puncture.
intrathecally means?
into brain and spinal cord
